Joint Custody

Dutchess County Child Custody Attorneys

As a parent, nothing is more important than the protection of your parental rights and your continued relationship with your children, especially when you are getting a divorce. To facilitate the welfare of children, the state of New York has a policy of promoting a strong relationship between children and parents.

However, while New York law encourages active participation by both parents with a child after a divorce or when parents are not residing together, that is by no means a guarantee that both parents will enjoy equal custodial rights or parenting time with a child after a divorce or separation.

If you are getting a divorce or are separated from the parent of your child, protect your rights by retaining an experienced Poughkeepsie divorce and family law attorney at Brooke, Brady & Schopfer, LLP, who is knowledgeable about the law and is prepared to work diligently to protect your rights. Contact us today to learn more during a free initial consultation at our Poughkeepsie, New York, office.

Joint Custody in New York

There are two types of custody determinations that are made during divorce or custody proceedings: legal custody and physical custody. Legal custody involves the parents’ rights to be involved in key decisions about the children — including school, medical care and religion — and may be granted solely or jointly. Except in extreme cases, it is common for parents to receive joint legal custody.

Physical custody involves the actual residence of a child and when the child will be with each parent. While people often think of joint physical custody as a 50/50 arrangement, it merely means that both parents will enjoy some sort of parenting time/visitation with the child.

How Do We Handle Custody and Visitation Disputes?

At Brooke, Brady & Schopfer, LLP, we have been fighting for the rights of parents in divorce and family law proceedings in Dutchess County, New York, for more than 30 years. We handle a wide range of divorce, post-divorce and family court disputes involving child custody and visitation, including:

  • Representation of clients seeking sole or joint custody
  • Relocation disputes after divorce or a family court proceeding
  • Modifications of custody
  • Modifications of visitation or parenting time
  • Contested, uncontested and collaborative divorce

Our job is to help people understand their rights and responsibilities. When handling a divorce, post-divorce or family court matter that involves child custody or visitation issues, we work hard to understand our clients’ short- and long-term goals. Once we understand our clients’ objectives, we work diligently to obtain those objectives and put our decades of experience to work to provide the quality legal representation our clients require.

Need to Learn More About Joint Custody Agreements? Contact Us

If you need to speak with a lawyer at our firm about a child custody or visitation issue, contact our Poughkeepsie law office at 845-454-2540, or contact us by e-mail to schedule a free initial consultation today.