When parents don’t live together, either because they’ve divorced or were never married, the question of custody and visitation arises. Contemporary courts in California tend to favor joint custody agreements, where parents have the children with them in their home on a 50-50 basis. However, this arrangement is not appropriate for all families, especially when one parent has a demanding career. When a parent has less than 50 percent of the physical custody, that parent is said to have visitation rights. At Gates Law Group, A Professional Corporation, we help our clients obtain visitation orders that are fair under their circumstances. We also help them enforce and modify such orders whenever such actions are necessary for their children’s health, safety and welfare. In addition, we assist grandparents seeking to maintain a loving relationship with their grandchildren.
Parents can reach agreement on their parenting plan through negotiations or mediation, or they can present the question to the court for a ruling. Visitation plans generally fall into three categories:
In all child custody and visitation decisions, the court’s primary consideration is the best interest of the children. We bring to the court’s attention all pertinent facts that weigh in your favor as we fight to protect your rights.
Grandparents are often collateral damage in disputes between parents. When a marriage breaks up, or even when a parent passes away, a custodial parent may decide to bar the grandparents on that side from seeing the children. Fortunately, under California family law, grandparents can ask the court for reasonable visitation with their grandchildren. However, there are two requirements:
Under most circumstances, grandparents cannot request visitation while the parents are married. But the law allows for exceptions:
We represent grandparents in these matters, but we also assist parents who have reasonable concerns about allowing contact with grandparents who might have a negative influence on the children.
Gates Law Group, A Professional Corporation handles every aspect of child custody and visitation, including grandparent visitation, throughout California. Please call 559-432-9944 or contact us online to schedule a consultation. Our firm’s main office is in Fresno, but we also assist clients from locations in Paso Robles and Visalia.