Your Guide Through Difficult Issues
When a couple divorces, some child custody arrangement must be agreed upon. When an unmarried couple separates, a child custody agreement must also be reached. The courts in Iowa have a preference for shared custody of the children. There are two major exceptions to when the court will prefer sole physical custody rather than joint custody:
- If there is a history of domestic abuse
- If both parents do not promote a good relationship with the other parent
Child custody determinations affect unmarried parents as well as married parents. Child support payments follow child custody determinations.
At Foster Law Office, our Iowa City child custody attorneys can walk you through the process and develop legal options for child custody and visitation.
Cedar Rapids Visitation Attorney
There are two types of child custody — legal custody and physical custody. The legal custody is almost always shared and it is the decision-making power regarding religious upbringing and medical decisions. The physical custody is where the child lives and may be either shared, or there could be a primary parent.
It has been our experience that there is a difference toward how individual judges will make these determinations, if the decisions were not made during mediation. Most judges lean toward shared physical custody if the parents can cooperate. At our law office, we try to facilitate the parent relationship and work to get along rather than fight. If a fight is called for, we will be vigorous advocates for your parenting rights.
If the court determines that primary physical custody would work best with one parent, the other parent is typically granted visitation every other weekend and one night per week and access to the children on rotating holidays.
Your Resource for Family Law Needs
For experienced and competent representation during divorce, please call our lawyers at 319-576-0114 or toll-free at 866-781-3971, or send our attorneys an e-mail.