Child Custody & Visitation
Parenting Time Lawyers in Canton, Ohio
How Old Does A Child Have To Be Before He Or She Can Decide Which Parent To Live With?
In Ohio, children don’t have the right to elect which parent they will live with. However, your child’s opinion will be considered by the court as one of the factors in deciding what’s in the child’s best interest.
− Attorneys Jonathan Morris and Ivan Redinger, Canton, Ohio
The terms “child custody” and “visitation” tend to create the impression that one parent has won and the other has lost when it comes to determining where their child will live and which parent will make child-rearing decisions after divorce. For this reason, Ohio now offers shared parenting plans.
Under a shared parenting or joint custody plan, both parents may have equal footing when it comes to making decisions about health care, religion, education and other important issues. A shared parenting plan also allocates the amount of time each parent will spend with the child. That time can be fifty-fifty or close to it. A shared parenting plan can also be more like a traditional child custody and visitation arrangement in which one parent has primary residential custody and the other has the child every other weekend, one night during the week, alternate holidays, and an extended period of time in the summer.
Shared Parenting And Child Support
Many parents think that if they have a shared parenting plan, there will be no child support. While that is not generally correct, the terms of a shared parenting plan may reduce or eliminate the amount of child support that is paid.
In Ohio, child support is based on a number of factors, including your gross income and the number of children you support. The amount of time your child stays with you may also impact the child support.
Contested Child Custody Cases
If child custody is contested, the court will usually appoint a guardian ad litem to represent your child’s best interests. In Stark County, this guardian ad litem will be a lawyer.
Our attorneys will guide you through the contested child custody process and advise you in how to discuss relevant issues with the guardian ad litem.
Questions about child custody and visitation? Contact the lawyers at Redinger & Morris in Canton, Ohio, for a consultation. There is no cost unless you decide to hire us.