Boston Child Custody, Support and Visitation Attorneys
Perhaps the most difficult challenge in a divorce involves what to do about the children. Who gets custody? How is time with the children shared? How do we continue to support them? What happens as our lives change? The answers to these important concerns will be different for every family. Ideally parents should work it out together for the benefit of the whole family. When they cannot, the courts must intervene and make decisions that are in the best interests of the children.
At the Boston, Massachusetts, family law firm of Dane Shulman Associates, LLC, our experienced lawyers guide and support you through this difficult time. We will help you make the sound decisions that affect everyone's lives moving forward. Contact our Boston child custody lawyers for experienced and compassionate help with divorce and related custody and child support matters.
Massachusetts Child Custody and Visitation
Child custody can be the most important issue in a divorce proceeding. In Massachusetts, child custody includes both the legal custody and physical custody. Barring extreme circumstances, both parents generally receive joint legal custody of their children, giving both equal rights to make decisions affecting their children's lives, including:
- Education
- Heath and medical care
- Child care and daily needs
- Religious upbringing
- Other important decisions
Physical custody, or where the children live, can be more controversial. Under most circumstances, it is best for the children to have frequent and continued contact with both parents. To facilitate this, courts often find that some form of shared physical custody or shared parenting plan serves the best interests of the children. This could range from one parent having primary custodial rights while the other parent has substantial visitation time to the parents sharing nearly equal time with the child.
As your child custody lawyers, we work closely with you so that we understand your goals and the unique aspects of your case. We represent your interests in negotiations as we strive to achieve a parenting plan that you can be happy with. However, if a custody agreement cannot be achieved through negotiation or family mediation, we aggressively assert your interests and the best interests of your children in court.
Custody and Support Modifications and Enforcement
Our experienced family law attorneys are also adept at handling post-judgment matters that arise in the future, such as when a change of circumstances requires an adjustment in the existing parenting plan or a modification of child support obligations. We can also answer your questions about child relocations out of state.
Contact Our Boston and Cambridge Visitation Lawyers
Protecting your rights as a parent is just as important as the interests of your children. We provide the insight and advice you need in custody, support, paternity and other child custody-related concerns.
Contact our attorneys online at our Boston office, or call us at 617-379-1786 or toll free at 866-942-6740 to learn more.
