In modern-day society, children have been identified as a vulnerable group that needs to be protected at all times. This awareness has also led to the coining of the phrase “best interests of the child,” which plays a prevalent role in matters dealing with children. This is particularly true when it comes to deciding on child custody in New Jersey, as across the United States.
The concept of custody is generally seen as the legal right to make decisions about important matters relating to the child’s life. The parent who is granted this right by a court of law is seen as the custodian parent. The custodian parent is in the position to make decisions regarding the child’s education, health care and religion.
While the non-custodian parent is generally given visitation rights, this is not always the case. It can happen that the custodian parent is not always the parent with physical custody — either a court or the custodian parent may decide it is better for the child to live with the non-custodian parent. The main aim will always be to act in the best interests of the child.
There are different types of custody. As mentioned above, one can distinguish between legal custody and physical custody, but these are not the only types of which to take note. One can also distinguish between sole custody, which is when one parent alone has custody, while joint custody refers to parents sharing the custody.
Parents in New Jersey contemplating divorce may want to consider all the different options when discussing child custody with their divorce lawyers. The range of custody possibilities opens doors that can decrease the negative impact a divorce may have on the children involved. At the same time, the options also provide the possibility that not only the best interests of the children, but also both parents, are protected.
Source: children-and-divorce.com, “Child Custody USA“, Accessed on July 18, 2017