Child Custody Disagreements
If the parents cannot agree on who will have custody of the children, then a motion for a family relations custody study must be filed with the court. Family relations is an arm of the court that will investigate who will have custody of the children. They will meet with each party and the children separately. The will look into the children’s medical and educational records and talk to whoever the parties wish them to speak with. That usually takes 3-6 months.
Child custody disagreements can get very messy. Sometimes, a spouse may claim that the other spouse committed child abuse to help secure custody and get money. View this page to learn more about what is considered child abuse.
When a custody study is started, a guardian ad litem or an attorney for the minor children is appointed. A guardian ad litem is for younger children, usually 14 and under. That person is appointed by the court and they will determine what is in the best interest of the children.
For children who are 14 and up, an attorney for the minors will be appointed and that attorneys job is just to be the mouthpiece of the children. They will tell the court what are the children’s preferences and who they want to live with.
