How to Negotiate a Fair Child Custody Arrangement

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Every year in Australia, more than 49,000 couples get divorced. While divorce is often a healthy choice, this doesn’t always make it easy.

Getting divorced can be a confusing and emotional time, but it also requires a lot of practical planning, especially if you have children. If you do then your children are not alone. Between 50,000 and 60,000 children see their parents divorce each year.

Organizing child custody arrangements creates stability for you and your children. But finding a fair arrangement for everyone can feel challenging.

This is where a family lawyer in Parramatta can help. Read on to find out our top tips for negotiating a fair child custody arrangement.

Understand Your Child Custody Options

When it comes to family law, there are no strict rules about child custody arrangements. So you and your ex need to figure out what will work best and agree on this.

The main things to consider include:

  • Which parent your child will live with and when
  • A contact schedule for each parent (especially if your children are living with one parent full-time)
  • How each parent is going to fulfill their financial responsibility to their children

Most of the time, a child will not split their time exactly 50:50 between each parent. They might live with one parent for the majority of the week and stay with the other at weekends. This depends a lot on each of your schedules and your child’s schedule.

If you are seriously concerned about your ex’s parenting then you can negotiate to look after your child full-time. Depending on whether or not your ex wants to appeal this, you may have to provide evidence to support your reasoning. Most courts will also try to encourage some contact time between your ex and your child if this is deemed safe or appropriate.

Prioritize Your Child’s Needs

All family lawyers will tell you that, regarding custody, you have to prioritize your child’s needs. If your case goes to family court, then this will also be the judge’s priority.

You need to support:

  • A schedule that will create stability in their lives
  • A healthy relationship with both parents

Of course, you also need to look at which parent is able to provide the best care for their child.

During a divorce, it is important to listen to your children and their emotions; however, you should never try to pin this decision on them. Putting them in the middle of a custody decision could be extremely damaging. On top of this, their reasons for choosing one parental home over the other might not be particularly logical.

Try to Keep Your Emotions in Check

Choosing where your child is going to live and how much time you get to spend with them is always going to be emotional. And it is important that you talk about how you are feeling with your loved ones or a professional.

However, you also need to try and keep your emotions in check when making custody decisions. This will help you prioritize your child’s needs and think practically about building a life that will work for everyone.

Set Realistic Expectations

To keep your emotions in check, it is important to be realistic about your custody expectations. This will make it easier to agree on a fair arrangement.

For example, let’s say that both parents want to have contact with their child. Most courts will support this except in extreme circumstances, such as instances of abusive behavior. So you need to make peace with the fact that your child will spend some of their time with your ex.

It is important to recognize what your child needs and the best way to achieve it. This will help you set realistic expectations for your custody arrangements.

Get Help From a Mediator

Mediators can play a huge role in divorce law and are extremely helpful regarding child custody arrangements. Having someone else in the room who can be objective will help you manage your emotions.

A mediator listens to both parties in a divorce. You can share your concerns with them and explain the reasoning behind your ideas for child custody. They will then discuss this information with both of you to help you reach an arrangement that you feel is fair.

If you and your ex are on good terms but are struggling to agree on a custody arrangement, this can be a good place to find support.

Get Support From a Family Lawyer in Parramatta

The majority of people separating in Australia will seek help from a divorce attorney. Your attorney will help you manage every area of your divorce and this includes getting a fair custody arrangement in place.

If you cannot agree on a custody arrangement, then they will:

  • Talk you through your options
  • Act as a representative in negotiations
  • Fight for the arrangement that you want in family court (if your case goes this far)

Hiring a lawyer can also help protect you from the most emotional aspects of child custody negotiations. They will keep a level head on your behalf and limit the amount of time you have to spend with your ex. Divorce attorneys have plenty of experience managing these cases and will be sure to handle yours sensitively.

This means that you can focus on getting through this difficult time and spending time with the people you love.

Speak to a Family Divorce Lawyer Today

As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider when negotiating child custody arrangements. Putting your child’s needs first and trying to keep your emotions in check will definitely help you reach a fair agreement.

If you would like support with your negotiations, get in touch with a family lawyer in Parramatta today. We’re happy to help.

What Is Family Law? Everything You Need to Know

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In 2020, the divorce rate in Australia was 1.9 divorces per every 1,000 people.

The vast majority of those divorces were processed through family court. But family law actually involves more than just divorce proceedings.

While the issues around divorce are a significant part of family law, a family law attorney has a lot more expertise than that. They’re versed in everything from reproductive rights to adoption.

To learn more about family law and what a family law attorney does, read this quick, definitive guide.

What Is Family Law?

Family law is a very broad practice area.

Generally speaking, family law governs the legal responsibilities between one or more individuals that share a domestic connection. These individuals may be blood relatives, they may be related by marriage, or they may be more distant relatives.

The issues family law focuses on include marriage, divorce, child custody, adoption, and more. But this area of law also intersects with others. For example, a child abuse case would involve both a criminal investigation as well as the family courts.

Other common areas that intersect with family law include estate planning, immigration, and naturalization law, as well as mediation and collaborative law.

What Does a Family Lawyer Do?

A family law attorney deals with all the family issues mentioned above, including marriage, divorce, child custody, and adoption. But they may also deal with issues you wouldn’t assume fall under family law. These include foster care, reproductive rights, paternity, and emancipation.

A family law attorney represents clients in a family law court. They handle negotiations and lead proceedings. They also take care of the paperwork and important legal documents (i.e. property settlements or court petitions).

As you might imagine, family law involves very sensitive matters and complicated relationships. It requires a delicate hand to navigate the issues that come up. A family lawyer is an invaluable resource in navigating these potentially choppy waters.

Who Needs a Family Law Attorney?

The vast majority of family law court proceedings are the result of divorce or the ending of a romantic relationship. That’s why many people think of family law attorneys as divorce attorneys. These lawyers take care of everything from filing for divorce to alimony and child custody.

But anybody who is dealing with legal matters of family and home may need the support of a family law attorney. These professionals can provide the best legal advice, based on experience. They’ll give the best protection to you and your loved ones as you move through the legal process.

Need Help Navigating Family Law Court?

Family law involves the legal responsibilities between individuals who share a domestic connection. It covers divorce, marriage, child custody, adoption, reproductive rights, and more.

Regardless of why you’re dealing with family court, a family law attorney is an invaluable asset in protecting yourself and your loved ones. Contact us to find out how we can help.

Why You Need Family Lawyers To Manage Your Divorce

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A divorce lawyer is often the best way to protect your family when having to go through this often exhausting process. With a full understanding of the process and requirements from top to bottom, this is a wealth of knowledge you can use to your advantage. With someone trained to mediate and guide, this is the best route forward to ensure there are not lengthy and costly court proceedings along the way.

Knowledge Of The Law

The first good reason for involving a divorce attorney in your divorce proceedings is the fact that an attorney has a good grasp on the law, and therefore is in a better position to help with the legal proceedings. A good attorney is also well versed with court proceedings and therefore knows how to proceed to make the divorce as successful and peaceful as possible.

Division Of Assets

With a professional there to assist you, you can smoothly negotiate your way through the entire process. The best way of ensuring that everyone involved gets the best possible situation and division. A good lawyer will help you have a calm negotiation where no further issues will arise along the way. With someone able to be impartial you can make sure of a fair and credible deal at the end of the day, ensuring that both of you get what you deserve and what is fair.

They Help Keep You Objective

In most cases like this, the overriding approach for clients is guided by emotions. Their differences as well as potential resentment is what can drive arguments and disagreements, dragging the proceedings on for months. This prolonged situation can just make things far worse as it makes it less likely for a deal and compromise to be achieved. A professional will be able to help keep the focus on the main subjects, helping the couple to divide their property reasonably and with mutual respect. As well as to ensure calm and understanding when dealing with the custody of the children.

They Offer Alternatives

A skilled lawyer can also help clients to finalise their process quickly by providing a range of alternative means without necessitating a court case in the process. Legal professionals can help a couple calmly negotiate in a neutral, comfortable environment where everyone can be at ease.

When dealing with divorce a family lawyer can come in handy as a trained professional to guide you through the proceedings. With years of experience and resources to draw from, we can ensure you get the best deal for yourself when going through this trying time. Contact us right away to find out more!

Top Tips When Working With A Family Law Specialist

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A family law specialist can guide and advise you on handling your current situation in the best, most responsible manner. But as with every legal dealing and proceeding, there are things you need to know to make the process a more effective and smooth process. Understanding these elements before taking legal meetings ensures you are open and ready to tackle the matter head on in a realistic way. Read on to see what you need to know. 

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Pre-Nuptial and Post-Nuptial Agreements are agreements between you and your partner on how you will divide your financial property in the event that your relationship breaks down.

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