Child Custody Attorney in Baton Rouge

Child Custody Options in Divorce - (225) 283-1374

When dissolving a marriage, either through a divorce or legal separation, child custody is one of the most important aspects of the decision. While a divorcing party will be separating from his or her spouse, parents will never be separating from their children.

Due to the vital nature of the child custody arrangement, discussions about where the children will reside and when they will visit the other parent can quickly escalate. You deserve to work with a skilled child custody lawyer who can ensure that your child's rights are protected throughout the process and in the final court order.

This firm is committed to helping parents ensure that their children have a stable living environment, working out custody and visitation agreements as amicably as possible. You deserve to have a legal advocate with years of experience in family law who can help you get through this daunting process as smoothly as possible. At this Baton Rouge child custody law firm, Beau Layfield handles each case personally: You can rest assured that when you hire Beau Layfield as your attorney, you get Beau Layfield and nobody else.

Louisiana Custody: Best Interest of the Child

There are various types of custody arrangements in the state of Louisiana, and when you need to determine what is best for you and your family, many factors will be involved in this decision.

Legal custody, whether it is held by one parent or shared equally by both parents, gives a parent the right to make decisions about the child's upbringing, such as schooling, medical care, and other significant decisions. In all cases, the best interest of the child is always the top priority.

Types of Child Custody

When going through divorce proceedings in Baton Rouge, if you and your ex-spouse have children, you will have to agree on a plan for child custody. If both of you cannot work out an amicable agreement amongst yourselves, the court will make the decision for you.

The 4 major types of child custody in Louisiana are:

Sole custody

One parent has sole custody of the child. The other parent may have visitation rights, but the custodial parent has the final say on most important decisions regarding the child (an exception is relocation, which usually requires consulting the non-custodial parent). Any parent wishing to achieve sole custody must show by clear and convincing evidence that sole custody will serve the best interest of the child.

Joint custody

Louisiana law provides that joint custody is strongly preferred. Typically one parent is designated as the domiciliary parent. The domiciliary parent has the authority to make all major decisions concerning the child, but the non-domiciliary parent may ask the court to review these decisions. If no domiciliary parent is designated, then both parents have equal decision-making authority. The child may spend more time with one of the parents, but neither parent is deprived of decision-making powers.

Split Custody

An uncommon custody plan that places some of the children with one parent and the remaining children with the other parent. Because the courts are reluctant to separate siblings, this arrangement is rare in Louisiana.

Non-parental Custody

Custody is granted to someone other than the natural parent of the child, for example, a relative or close friend of the family. Normally this occurs only when it is proven that neither of the parents is suitable to raise the child.

If you have an experienced family law and divorce attorney standing by you throughout the divorce process, you will have a better chance of getting what you want for you and your children. Having a lawyer who knows about the legal issues surrounding child custody will make is possible to bring a more persuasive argument to the bargaining table and increase your chances of winning the custody plan you want.

Trying to Work out a Child Custody Plan

At The Layfield Law Firm, you will receive personalized handling of your case. Beau Layfield has abundant experience in child custody problems. When you come to The Layfield Law Firm you will work with Beau Layfield. He does not push his work off on lower level associates. You will have the advantage of Beau Layfield's successful experience and he will carefully prepare your case to assure it will be resolved as efficiently as possible.

If your divorce is already finalized, but you are unhappy with the child custody arrangement you were awarded, he may be able to help negotiate a modification that would allow more time with your child and give you more decision-making authority. His goal is to help you get a child custody arrangement that will make you and your child happy for the long-term.