The laws covering child custody in Ohio were designed to create a situation that lets the child thrive.
The ‘best interest of the child’ is the legal standard, but that’s just my starting point. As your child custody lawyer, my goal is to keep your children’s lives as stable as possible, while maximizing your quality time with them.
Ohio Child Custody: The Basics
- Ohio courts use two basic child custody arrangements: 1) standard visitation schedule, and 2) shared parenting.
- Standard visitation follows a specific schedule. It names one parent as the residential parent and gives all decision-making rights to this parent. The non-residential parent sees the children as described in the visitation schedule—every other weekend and for one midweek dinner. The schedule also divides the holidays and school breaks, as well as days of special meaning (Mother’s Day, child’s birthday, etc.).
- Shared parenting is a child custody option that offers much more flexibility. Each parent is designated the residential parent while in possession of the children and has decision-making rights during that possession time. There is no cookie-cutter schedule for shared parenting. Your child custody lawyer will tailor a possession schedule that meets your family’s needs.
The law on custody is constantly changing. Especially in recent years, the trend has been toward maximizing parents’ time with their children through shared parenting as opposed to a standard visitation schedule. Contact Lisa today to learn more about your custody rights.
Ohio Child Custody: Did You Know?
There is no specific age when a child can choose to live with one parent or the other. In certain circumstances, though, a child can express his or her preference to the court. The court takes this preference into consideration when deciding custody.