Alabama Child Custody Considerations and Options
One of the most difficult parts of a divorce is the determination of child custody. In most divorces there is not a clear difference between the parents as far as whether one would be a better parent than the other. However, once custody is determined and ordered by the court, it is very difficult to modify custody unless all parties agree to the change. This is why it is so important to get it right the first time.
In this post, I am going to discuss some of the different types of child custody arrangements and how they work. First, it is important to know about the two different categories of custody: Legal Custody and Physical Custody. Legal Custody involves the decision-making aspect of custody. The Legal Custodian has the right to make decisions about where the child will attend school, what doctor will the child see, what church will the child attend, etc. Physical Custody involves where the child physically will reside.
Divorces often take several months to come to a resolution and sometimes longer if they go to trial. However, the question of child custody is not one that can remain in limbo for that long. Therefore, when custody is an issue, the court will usually hold a Pendente Lite Hearing to decide temporary arrangements for custody during the litigation.
Joint Custody (True Joint Custody)
True Joint Custody means that each parent has equal Legal Custody and Physical Custody. Each parent has the right to make decisions regarding the child such as what school to attend, what doctor to see, etc. This can be a potential problem if the two parents are not able to agree on everything. Joint Custody also means that the child will reside with each parent half of the time. When the child is old enough to attend school, it is very difficult to have true joint physical custody unless the parties live close to each other. If the parties are able to work together well for the benefit of their children, True Joint Custody allows both parents to be a big part of the child's life.
Child support in a True Joint Custody arrangement is often a surprise to the parties, especially the one who has to pay it. If the parties have relatively equal incomes, there may be no support due. However, if the incomes of the parties are disproportional, one parent may be ordered to pay the other in order to equalize the households. This scenario is also one that sometimes allows the parties to stipulate to no child support payments even if the guidelines say some would be due.
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