Family Law Lawyers in Hattiesburg, MS, and Battles Over Child Custody

Most divorces today are arranged outside of court except for having a judge approve and sign the documents. Sometimes, though, the spouses cannot agree on an aspect like child custody and end up having to litigate. Family law lawyers in Hattiesburg, MS, provide representation for clients in this situation.

Convincing the Judge

Both parents probably feel confident the judge will agree with their point of view, which is why they are both willing to let the judge decide. Family law lawyers in Hattiesburg, MS, present evidence to convince the judge that the children will be better off with the custody arrangement their particular client wants.

Common Scenarios

Often, the disagreement focuses on both parents wanting full-time physical custody, legally known as primary physical custody. Another common scenario is when one parent wants to share physical custody relatively and the other prefers full-time custody.

Factors Judges Consider

Family court judges want both parents to be actively involved in the children’s lives as long as these parents are not neglectful, abusive or engaging in potentially detrimental behavior. When those factors are ruled out, they look at other characteristics of the lifestyles as well as their relationships with the children.

A judge considers situations in which one parent wants to move away and take the children along. Another consideration is how much time each parent can realistically spend with the youngsters if granted full-time custody.