Divorce tends to be traumatic for all parties involved, especially when there are children involved. Thanks to the impact the dissolution of a marriage has on children, Washington has opted to make some changes to what was previously referred to as child custody. A family law lawyer in Tacoma, WA explains these changes.
Parenting Management
Child custody often doesn’t take into account the best interests of the child, and the state wishes to fix this. For this reason, they have opted to replace child custody with parenting management. This concept focuses on ensuring both parents remained involved in the lives of their child or children and take part in parenting them. There are certain exceptions to this, such as when there are charges of neglect or abuse, but most couples will find they will take part in managing the lives of their children even after the divorce is finalized.
Retention of the Home
To further ease the process for children, most courts prefer to give the family home to the parent with whom the children will live most of the time. This helps to reduce the number of changes the children will be facing in a short period of time and gives them some stability as they adjust to the new living circumstances. Children do better when they are in a familiar environment, thus the court takes this into account during the divorce.
The Parenting Plan
Although the court typically decides who gets the home, parents are required to submit a document known as a parenting plan. This plan outlines when the children see the non-custodial parent, the rules for each household, how to address any issues that arise, and which parent is responsible for making which decisions. The goal is to ensure that the child’s physical, mental and emotional needs are fulfilled, and the court ultimately decides these matters if there are disagreements.
Individuals in need of a family law lawyer in Tacoma, WA to assist with these issues should contact website. This firm works with individuals on everything from child custody and domestic violence to fathers’ rights and adoption. Give them a call today to begin the process of dissolving the marriage and finding a way to protect the kids in the process.
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