A Custody Attorney in Reading, PA is one of those attorneys you never really want to hire. After all, most people do not build a family with someone and plan on having the family fall apart in the future. Unfortunately, it happens. The biggest problem with hiring a Custody Attorney in Reading, PA is that most people know next to nothing about the process of fighting for custody. You have watched too many movies about how the child spends the week with one parent and the weekend with the other and you just assume you are fighting for which days the child goes with you.
There are several different types of custody and the first step in the process is telling your Custody Attorney in Reading what type you are fighting for. Unfortunately, this requires you making decisions regarding where the child lives and who makes decisions about the child’s well-being. Even simple things such as where the child goes to school and what religion they practice are suddenly up for debate.
Legal custody and physical custody are the two main types of custody. Legal custody just means that you are recognized as that child’s guardian and you have a right to make decisions about their life. This includes where they go to school, what kind of medicine they take, and what religion they practice. Having legal custody does not mean that the child gets to live with you. It just means you are obligated to be involved in the decision making process.
Physical custody determines where the child lives. When a parent has physical custody they are also going to have legal custody. This is because a child cannot live with a parent without them being responsible for making some of the decisions regarding their well-being.
You could also have your lawyer help you battle for joint custody or sole custody. Sole custody means that you are the only parent with both legal and physical custody of the child. The other parent does not have a say in how the child is raised nor does the child spend any of their time living at the other parent’s house. Joint custody means that you either share legal, physical, or both with the other parent. Click here for more info