Dunlop, Dunlop & Dunlop, P.A. - Child Custody Attorneys in Winter Park, Florida

Child custody is one of the most difficult issues that parents face when they are seeking a divorce. This is a natural result of the love and concern that parents have for their child's well-being. However, when that concern is combined with the emotional turmoil that parents go through at the end of a marriage it can lead to bitter child custody arguments between the two parents.

Here at Dunlop, Dunlop & Dunlop, P.A. in Winter Park, Florida, our attorneys understand what you are going through. Our law firm practices strictly in the area of family law because we want to offer our knowledge of the law to good people that are feeling bad due to having to go through an emotionally stressing situation. We want to lower your stress by providing our professional legal services to help you through the process and to get the issues resolved fairly and in yours and your child or children’s best interests. Contact our Orlando child custody lawyers to discuss your unique situation.

Child Custody

Determining child custody is very difficult for the courts of Florida. The law requires the courts use a standard called "best interests of the child" when hearing a child custody case. This standard has a deceptively simple name, which involves carefully considering many different factors before a court can make a custody determination. Some of the most relevant factors include:

• Who is the "Primary Caregiver"
• Which parent would most likely allow the other parent visitation
• Psychological and physical fitness of a parent
• The child's preference, if he or she is old enough.
• Financial ability
• Whether there is a history of domestic violence
• The recommendations of a Guardian Ad Litem
• Keeping brothers and sisters together

This is only a partial list of the factors that courts use at a child custody hearing. While some of the factors are more important than others, none of them are controlling. A family court's decision regarding child custody has to be supported by consideration of these factors, but there is no set method for determining whether they were applied accurately or fairly.

When children are involved in a case, the judge's focus is centered on the children more than any other issue in the case. A parenting class is required to be taken by both parties when children are involved. An important thing to learn in these classes is to start referring to your children as "our children" as opposed to "my children." How you refer to your child before the judge, Guardian Ad Litem or other court appointed figures can make a difference between obtaining custody and not. Learning to refer to them as "our children" now can help prevent mistakes before the judge due to nervousness.

Post-Divorce Modification

Awards of permanently custody are never truly permanent. A significant change in circumstances can justify changing a sole or joint custody arrangement through a new child custody hearing. If you have questions about whether or not custody can be modified in your situation, contact our attorneys.

Visitation

Visitation schedules are typically much easier to change than a custody determination. While the parents can agree to visitation among themselves whenever they want, a visitation agreement must be approved by a court to be enforceable. To learn more, feel free to look at our visitation page.

Our law office can help you put your life back together. If you are divorced, or you are facing family law issues, you can call our office at (407) 628-4300 or you can contact a family law lawyer at our firm by filling out our online contact form.

Dunlop, Dunlop & Dunlop, P.A.
Attorneys at Law
Suite A
301 North Park Avenue
Winter Park, FL 32789
Phone: (407) 628-4300
Fax: (407) 628-4345
Email