A common mistake that parents make in dealing with child custody issues is to not retain counsel and make things official. Understandably, people who can deal with each other and their child amicably don't always want to get the law involved because it feels like they're picking a fight. However, there are several good reasons for folks in this situation to hire child custody lawyers.
Medical Decisions
When a kid is young, it's hard to foresee all of the potential legalities you might run into down the road. As the child gets older, though, the parents start to face more questions about who has the right to make particular decisions on behalf of the child.
The worst version of this occurs when a child needs medical care. You want to be sure that both parents are positioned to make medical decisions and sign documents for medical treatment. This is especially the case if there are questions about the course of care that aren't easily resolved by medical expertise. If a child might be eligible to receive an experimental treatment, for example, it should be clear how the two parents will decide on whether and how to proceed.
Parental Death or Incapacitation
Low-probability scenarios can be easy to ignore, but that's not a wise choice. While the odds are low that both parents will be incapable of providing care for a child, it's a nightmare when it happens and the custody arrangements aren't clear. Assigning primary physical custody to one parent will make it easier to manage this scenario because they can then make arrangements for what happens if both parents die or are incapacitated.
Moving
America's legal framework for child custody issues emphasizes the importance of parental access and involvement. If one parent moves a long distance away, there may be legal action. Notably, the parent who moves doesn't have to have primary custody. Any move that would place an undue burden on the other parent or deprive the child of parenting may be a source of dispute. Formal child custody documents won't make this issue go away, but they can at least help the court make basic determinations about physical custody, visitations, and access.
Changing Moods
It might seem like a simple point, but it's important to consider. Co-parenting can seem easy in the early days, but conflicts may emerge over time. It's wise to have child custody lawyers draft documents while everyone can cooperate because an informal arrangement could collapse months or years down the road.
For more information about the services that child custody lawyers can provide, contact a local law firm.
