Child Custody Lawyer in Red Bank, New Jersey
New Jersey courts make decisions about child custody and parenting time (formerly known as “Child Custody and Visitation”) based on a child’s best interests. Custody laws in New Jersey are gender neutral, giving both parents equal footing in the eyes of the law.
New Jersey has taken this approach because all families are different, and custody arrangements reflect these differences. Ultimately, your custody arrangement will be based on many factors, including: each parent’s pre-existing relationship with the child, each parent’s work schedules, your child’s psychological or other special or medical needs.
Contact the Law Offices of Sylvia S. Costantinto, Esq., LLC today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced child custody lawyer.
Child Custody Options & Guidelines
New Jersey courts can order many different custodial arrangements for children, including sole custody, joint legal custody, and shared legal and physical custody. In New Jersey, child custody consists of two parts: physical custody, which governs where your child will live, and legal custody, which governs which parent or parents have decision-making authority regarding how your child will be raised and cared for, including schooling and medical treatments.
New Jersey Child Custody Options
Joint Legal Custody
Sole Legal and Physical Custody
Shared Legal and Physical Custody
Finding the Best Custody Option with a Child Custody Lawyer
Child custody issues can be emotionally difficult, and our child custody lawyers will work with you to identify your needs, help you understand your options, and reduce your anxiety throughout this process. We provide you with the education, tools, and guidance you need to make thoughtful decisions to protect the best interests of your family.
We encourage you to call us to request an initial consultation with a child custody lawyer from our family law firm. At your appointment, an experienced family law attorney will thoroughly review all of your options and advise you on the best strategy to successfully address even the most complex child custody issues. After deciding which option is best, you will be assisted in carefully crafting a sensible custody and parenting time plan. This visitation plan will be designed specifically for you and your family and will take into consideration various factors, such as:
Work schedules
Activities
Travel
Childcare needs
Extended family members
And more
No matter which child custody option is right for your family, our child custody attorneys will protect your rights and safeguard your child’s welfare. Contact us today at (732) 741-2600 to schedule a free consultation with an experienced child custody attorney.
Visitation or Parenting Time Plans
In New Jersey, courts refer to time parents spend with their children as “parenting time,” rather than “visitation.” This acknowledges the importance of each parent’s role, regardless of whether a child spends nearly equal time with each parent or lives with one parent most of the time. Whatever your child custody arrangement, there will be various options available for structuring parenting time. If you and your child’s other parents already have a decision about the basic form of child custody you will be following, child custody attorneys at the Law Offices of Sylvia S. Costantino, Esq., LLC. can help you craft a sensible New Jersey parenting plan designed to meet the needs of your family both now and well into the future. Find out about parenting time arrangements.
Examples of Parenting Time Arrangements in New Jersey
Under New Jersey law, co-parents can structure parenting time in any way manageable for them, provided that the plan serves their child’s best interests. Parenting time is linked to physical custody as opposed to legal custody.
While several different physical custody arrangements might work well for your family, most parents begin with one of the following standard formats:
One primary residential parent and one alternate residential parent
Shared physical custody
Sole physical custody
Constructing a Parenting Time Plan
Crafting a detailed parenting plan requires practical assessment of each family member’s lifestyle. Common considerations include:
- The children’s ages and levels of social and emotional development, including any special needs,
- How parents divided responsibilities prior to separation,
- How any changes in previous arrangements might be phased in so that children feel comfortable and cared for at all times,
- Each parent’s current and anticipated work schedule, including available vacation time,
- School locations and calendars,
- Children’s extracurricular activities,
- Childcare needs, and
- Anticipated roles of extended family members.
Important Terms to Include in Parenting Time Plans
Parenting plans are most effective when they are specific and detailed. Parents who get along well with one another sometimes want to keep plans general, in the belief that this will provide greater flexibility. While maintaining flexibility will serve parents well, enforcement of vague plans often proves to be difficult or impossible. Having a child custody lawyer navigate you through this process will deter problems regarding Parenting Time in the future.
The best plans are tailored to the needs of an individual family. Among important items to include are the following:
- A designation of legal and physical custody,
- A description of the time-sharing arrangement,
- A description of any changes in time-sharing that will occur during school vacation periods,
- Provisions addressing transportation,
- Provisions addressing birthdays (both children’s and parents’), as well as special holidays such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and traditional or religious family holidays,
- Provisions addressing travel out of the state or out of the country, and
- A description of access to and sharing arrangements regarding school and medical records.
What Circumstances can Cause a Child Custody Modification?
For a child custody arrangement to be modified, there must be a substantial change in circumstances. New Jersey courts review the change in circumstances alleged by the party seeking modification to determine whether the change is appropriate for the best interest of the child. Examples of qualifying changes can include:
- Major relocation,
- Major change in vocation or hours,
- Major change in habits that may adversely affect the child (such as drugs and/or alcohol abuse),
- And more
Red Bank Child Custody Lawyers Providing the Help You Need
Retaining a highly qualified child custody lawyer can help properly position you for parenting time or child custody modification. A seasoned child custody lawyer can also help you fight against an unwanted change. The welfare of your children is always our first priority. Our Red Bank child custody lawyers work diligently and efficiently to protect your ever-changing needs—and the needs of your children.
If you believe a change to your existing child custody and parenting time provisions is necessary, our child custody lawyers will evaluate those issues with you, so you can choose the option that is best for you and your family. Take the first steps towards a more secure future with your kids. Call (732) 741-2600 today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced child custody lawyer at the Law Offices of Sylvia S. Costantinto, Esq., LLC.
