Ensuring the best interest of your children is our firm’s number one priority. While your marriage may be over, you will always be connected to your ex-spouse or partner through the children that you share. In New Jersey, decisions about child custody and parenting time must be based on a child’s best interests. Developing a workable child custody arrangement should be the goal of every parent in a divorce. If you are dealing with child custody or visitation issues as a result of a divorce or separation from a previous partner, having a dedicated and reliable lawyer can be an asset. 

To defend your child’s best interest, our highly skilled and detail-oriented lawyers can provide you with exceptional legal representation in the Courtroom.

We can put your mind at ease and successfully direct you through the burdensome child custody process. Give us a call today at (732) 741-2600 to get started. 

Fighting for Your Child’s Best Interests

No matter what, the best interest of your child is what the Court will pursue when determining custody. As such, Courts tend to shy away from custody arrangements that will create turmoil in a child’s life. It is important to keep in mind that if one parent is the primary caregiver for the children during the marriage, it is very likely that he or she will continue to be the primary caregiver after divorce. Our legal team can assist you by providing keen insights that will simplify the process and will strive to reach the best solution for your child. During the divorce process, which is already very stressful, a custody and visitation plan can be negotiated. If there is a disagreement, the Court has the opportunity to bring in a neutral third party that can conduct a thorough custody evaluation. This will help the judge make a decision regarding what is best for the child. 

Legal and Physical Child Custody in New Jersey 

In New Jersey, there are two major categories of custody: legal custody and physical custody. The parent with physical custody is called the “Parent of Primary Residence,” meaning the child primarily resides with that parent. However, this does not mean that the parties cannot have a joint physical custody arrangement, meaning that both parents have equal or at least somewhat similar amounts of parenting time. In New Jersey, it is common for both parents to maintain joint legal custody of the children, meaning that both parents share in decision-making over education, religion and the child’s general welfare. 

Not only is our legal team here to guide you through the custody process, but we will establish a parenting schedule, which will include holidays and vacation time so that both spouses can spend quality time with their child. This schedule will be tailored to flawlessly meet the needs of your family. 

It is important to remember that custody and parenting time is subject to modification based on a change of circumstances. Once a schedule is agreed upon, it is difficult to increase parenting time, so carefully evaluate the schedule and only enter an agreement with the support of an experienced family law attorney. 

At the Law Offices of Sylvia S. Costantino, Esq., LLC, we deeply understand that not seeing your child every day can be very tough. We are strong proponents of upholding stability in a child’s life. Let us help you and your children make the transition in your divorce as smooth as possible. When you need a child custody lawyer, call us first.