Child Custody: A Plan for Everyone’s Best Interest
Divorcing spouses often disagree on everything except one thing: doing what’s in the best interests of the children throughout the process. But what this means for one parent may be in direct opposition to the wishes of the other parent, creating a situation that’s not in the best interest of anyone. As such, our divorce attorneys at Green & Metcalf have experience in listening to client concerns and assessing what truly may be in the best interests of any minor children in the family.
Parents are charged with the responsibility of developing a parenting plan that incorporates the best interests of their children. This plan will specify the parents’ responsibilities with regard to health, education, support and timesharing. Should they not be able to develop a plan themselves, through their counsel or at mediation, the court at trial will formulate such a plan. Because there are so many factors to consider in divorces that include children, our attorneys counsel clients to use all reasonable efforts to establish their plan rather than submitting it to a judge to make the decisions for them.
“Throughout a divorce, it’s usually all about what outcomes are best for the spouses. But when there are minor children involved, the final decisions now have additional factors that have to be considered – which may be even more important at times than the needs of the parents,” said Norman Green, Senior Partner at Green & Metcalf of Vero Beach, FL.
In determining the best-case scenario for the post-divorce family, the court’s ruling may have all family members getting used to a brand-new life and schedule of transporting children back and forth from one residence to another to adhere to the revised parenting plan and visitation schedule set in place. However, as everyone adjusts to their new daily life, we encourage clients to do so with as much reassurance for children as possible who may not truly understand all that is happening around them.
Norman A. Green is the founder and a partner of Green & Metcalf - Attorneys At Law. He has over 40 years of experience in the practice fields of criminal defense and family law (divorce, child custody, child support, paternity, modifications of existing orders, prenuptial agreements and alimony cases).
