Parents who divorce or separate in Virginia and who must come up with workable solutions to their co-parenting needs may find themselves negotiating child custody plans between themselves. Child custody refers to the arrangements that parents or courts make to establish how a child will be cared for, where the child will live, and who may make decisions about the child’s upbringing. Both legal and physical custody are important matters that must be worked out in custody and parenting plans.

In some situations, parents may be able to work together to create their own custody solutions that prioritize their children’s needs. These plans may be parent generated and approved by the courts to stand as custody agreements. Often parents seek the support and guidance of family law attorneys when they endeavor to undertake these important legal negotiations.

In other situations, parents may not be able to communicate in respectful or effective ways to sort out the details of their children’s custody plans. They may turn to the courts to create for them custody arrangements that will work for them and particularly their kids. When the courts must take this active of a role in the creation of custody and parenting plans they may require individuals to provide extensive information about their lives so that informed custody decisions can be made.

Different families will require different levels of support and judicial intervention to create the custody plans that will best serve their children’s interests. This post is not provided to give any legal advice. All readers can benefit from discussing their legal and custodial needs with knowledgeable family law attorneys.