Child Custody & Visitation
Los Angeles Custody and Visitation AttorNEY AND MEDIATOR
Questions about child custody and visitation arise in divorce and dissolution of marriage as well as when establishing paternity/parentage. Often, the final outcome of a child custody battle will be greatly influenced by what happened earlier in the case — during the period of separation. It is critical to manage and try to resolve the case correctly from the outset.
At the Nathans Family Law APC, Mr. Nathans has been helping to protect the rights and relationships of mothers, fathers and children for 25 years. Because of Mr. Nathans’ skill and 25 years of experience in this area, he has been appointed by California family courts to represent children in many contested divorce and contested child custody cases.
We care about children and their families and work hard to ensure that parents find ways to work together for the best interest of their children. Contact our Los Angeles law office to schedule an initial consultation. We can assist you with every aspect of your child custody and visitation matter, as well as answer questions about California child support and grandparents’ rights to visitation.
There are Two Types of Custody
- Legal custody (California Family Code § 3003) is usually shared by both parents even if the children live primarily with one parent. It refers to the ability to make decisions concerning the health, education and welfare of a minor child. There are times when one parent is awarded sole legal custody.
- Physical custody (California Family Code § 3004) refers to the actual living arrangement of a child. Often, one parent has primary physical custody – the child resides with and is under that parent’s supervision most of the time – while the other parent has visitation rights. If the child resides for significant amounts of time in both parents’ respective homes, both parents have joint physical custody.
The Best Interests of the Child
The legal standard used by the Los Angeles family court to determine child custody and visitation orders is in the best interest of the child. When determining what is in the best interest of a child during your divorce or separation, California custody law gives a court a lot of discretion, and a judge can consider many different factors. Some of these factors include:
- A child’s age and preferences
- Parental stability
- Parental criminal history
- Ability of the parent to care for the child
- History of child care
A court will use these factors, and others, to determine the timeshare between the parents.
Child Custody Arrangements
At the time of your divorce or parentage action, a child custody & visitation determination often needs to be made. Based upon an assessment of each parent’s capabilities and the needs of the child, a child custody court order will establish who will have legal custody (decision-making authority) and physical custody (who has physical responsibility for the child’s care). Various arrangements are possible, including sole physical custody and sole legal custody, joint physical and joint legal custody.
Mr. Nathans‘ role as your child custody lawyer and mediator is to educate you as to your rights and the law and to offer practical solutions to address concerns allowing for a resolution. Mr. Nathans can also help you access expert resources and child therapists when needed to address and resolve custody and/or visitation disputes.
Child Visitation and Parenting Plans
Child visitation and parenting plans must accommodate the needs of both parent and child. By taking the time to understand your unique family situation and your child’s needs, Mr. Nathans can help you secure a detailed parenting plan that minimizes the chance for conflicts and misunderstandings and focuses on the best interest of the child.
Modifications to Custody or Visitation
Modification of an existing custody order or visitation order is often needed to accommodate changing circumstances and a child’s changing needs. If circumstances change at work or at home — injury, illness, a new job requires relocation, or it becomes clear that a former partner is an unfit parent — your existing child custody order or parenting plan may be unworkable. Mr. Nathans can help your family to come up with a new child custody arrangement and/or order.
Conciliation Court
The Superior Court of California provides a free mediation service for parents called the conciliation court. As an experienced Los Angeles divorce and child custody attorney and mediator Mr. Nathans can help you prepare for your conciliation court session so your child custody dispute can be settled.
The first step is hiring the best lawyer/mediator.
Whether it's divorce, child custody or child support, clients benefit from Michael Nathans' expertise in family law and his dedication to helping individuals and families successfully and cost-effectively resolve their family legal matters.
Start Today, Contact Us
What Clients are Saying
“He owns his reputation for being reasonable, to-the-point, a high code of ethics, and able to close the deal diplomatically but in court he demonstrates a command of the language and process.” - Larry B.
“I must say that hands down, Michael Nathans is certainly a top notch Family Law Attorney. He is very passionate, professional, experienced and extremely skilled at what he does. His counsel and expertise have proven to be so very valuable.” - LaTescia E.
“Michael Nathans has advised me on various personal matters over several years. His office is extremely good at taking complex and often emotional issues and resolving them in a favorable, timely and cost effective manner.” - C. K.
Reviews powered by Yelp
& Avvo
Read more client testimonials here
We Want to Help You
For compassionate and result-driven family law advocacy in all family legal matters, contact Nathans Family Law APC for an initial consultation with an experienced Los Angeles attorney and mediator. We accept most credit cards.