Top Lewiston, ID Child Custody Lawyers Near You
Child Custody Lawyers | Lewiston Office
1229 Main Street, Suite 106, PO Box 285, Lewiston, ID 83501
Child Custody Lawyers | Lewiston Office
508 8th Street, Lewiston, ID 83501-2430
Child Custody Lawyers | Lewiston Office
710 16th Avenue, Lewiston, ID 83501
Lewiston Child Custody Information
Lead Counsel Verified Attorneys In Lewiston
Lead Counsel independently verifies Child Custody attorneys in Lewiston and checks their standing with Idaho bar associations.
Our Verification Process and Criteria
Ample Experience Attorneys must meet stringent qualifications and prove they practice in the area of law they’re verified in.
Good Standing Be in good standing with their bar associations and maintain a clean disciplinary record.
Annual Review Submit to an annual review to retain their Lead Counsel Verified status.
Client Commitment Pledge to follow the highest quality client service and ethical standards.
Find a Child Custody Attorney near Lewiston
Shared Custody and Visitation
When parents of a child are separated or get a divorce, they have to determine the child’s custody and visitation rights. Custody arrangements can include shared custody or sole custody. Joint legal custody and joint physical custody mean the parents both have the right to make legal decisions for the child and share physical time with the child. Even when both parents have shared custody, the parent who spends the most time with the child is generally considered the custodial parent. The other parent has visitation rights and can see the child based on the visitation schedule and custody order.Legal Issues in Child Custody Disputes
When parents cannot agree on a child custody agreement that works for everybody, they may have to go to court to have family law matters decided. In most cases, the court will first have the parents go through mediation to work together on a schedule. If mediation does not work, the court may decide the custody and visitation arrangement.How Do Judges Decide Child Custody
Family court judges must consider what is in the best interests of the child when determining custody. The court can consider several factors, including the child’s relationship with the parents, the parents’ work schedules, the child’s wishes, siblings and extended family, distance between parents, cooperation of the parents, safety and stability, and any other relevant factors. In most cases, judges emphasize making sure the child will spend time with both parents. To make this happen, a judge will likely want to know what each parent’s home environment is like, whether each parent will be able to give a child the proper attention, and in which situation the child will be most likely to thrive.Taking Away Parental Rights
Parents can lose their parenting rights if the child is abused, abandoned, or in an unsafe environment. A parent or the state can petition for a termination of parental rights. The other parent will have a chance to respond in court to present their side of the story. Grounds for terminating parental rights include abuse, neglect, or abandonment.Can I Change a Child Custody Order?
If both parents are unhappy with the current custody arrangement, you can negotiate a change to your agreement or modify the child custody order. If a family law judge feels that the changes are in the child’s best interests and benefits outweigh any negative impacts, then the court may modify the child custody order. If you want to change a child custody order and the other parent disagrees, you may need to show a substantial change in circumstances to justify the change. This could include one of the parents moving out of state, suffering from a disability or illness that affects their parenting ability, domestic violence, exposing the child to an unsafe environment, or having a change in work circumstances that requires rescheduling visitation.What If My Ex Isn’t Paying Child Support?
It can be very difficult for a custodial parent to take proper care of their child if the other parent isn’t paying their fair share. However, in most cases, a parent’s failure to pay child support or spousal support is not enough to deny visitation. If your ex isn’t paying support, you can contact your Idaho child support program to enforce child support orders.How a Idaho Child Custody Attorney Can Help
A family law attorney can help you resolve your custody legal issue and guide you through the process. Child custody lawyers can help you navigate the legal system, while avoiding costly mistakes or procedural errors. For legal advice on your custody issues, you should look for a family law firm with a practice area that focuses on Idaho child custody cases like yours.What do judges look for in custody cases?
In every state, family court judges must consider what is in the child’s best interests when determining custody. In most cases, judges emphasize making sure the child will spend ample time with both parents. To make this happen, a judge will likely want to know what each parent’s home environment is like, whether each parent will be able to give a child the proper attention, and which situation the child will be most likely to thrive in.Who has legal custody of the child when the parents aren’t married?
If the parents are not married, the child’s biological parents both have parental rights unless the law says otherwise. An exception to this could be if no father is listed on the child’s birth certificate. In that case, the father would have to go through the legal process of establishing paternity to be able to assert his parental rights for visitation.How can a mother lose custody of her child?
A mother can lose custody of her child in much the same way a father could. This could include abusing the child, abusing drugs or alcohol, providing an unsafe home environment for the child, or abandoning the child.How can you change a child custody order?
If you or your ex are unhappy with the current custody arrangement, you can negotiate a change to your agreement. If a judge feels that the changes are still in the child’s best interests, then they may approve the order. If one of you is pressing ahead with seeking a change and the other parent is contesting it, you will need to prove a “substantial” change in circumstances. This could include one of the parents moving out of state, suffering from a disability or illness that affects their parenting ability, exposing the child to an unsafe environment, or having a change in work circumstances that requires rescheduling of visitation.Top Questions to Ask When Hiring an Attorney
- How many years have you been practicing law? How long have you practiced law in the local area?
- How many cases similar to mine have you handled in the past?
- What is the likely outcome for my case?
In legal practice, experience matters. An experienced attorney will likely have handled issues similar to yours many, many times. Therefore, after listening to your situation, the attorney should have a reasonable idea of the time line for a case like yours and the likely resolution.
Top Questions to Ask a Lawyer
- What is the usual process to resolve my case? How long will it take to resolve this?
- What are likely outcomes of a case like mine? What should I expect?
An experienced lawyer should be able to communicate a basic “road map” on how to proceed. The lawyer should be able to walk you through the anticipated process, key considerations, and potential pitfalls to avoid. Once you’ve laid out the facts of your situation to the lawyer, he/she should be able to frame expectations and likely scenarios to help you understand your legal issue.
Types of legal fees:
Bill by the hour: Many attorneys bill by the hour. How much an attorney bills you per hour will vary based on a number of factors. For instance, an attorney’s hourly fee may fluctuate based on whether that hour is spent representing you in court or doing research on your case. Attorneys in one practice area may bill you more than attorneys in a different practice area.
Contingent fee: Some lawyers will accept payment via contingent fee. In this arrangement, the lawyer receives a percentage of the total monetary recovery if you win your lawsuit. In sum, the lawyer only gets paid if you win. Contingent fee agreements are limited to specific practice areas in civil law.
Flat fee: For “routine” legal work where the attorney generally knows the amount of time and resources necessary to complete the task, he/she may be willing to bill you a flat fee for services performed.
Common legal terms explained
Affidavit – A sworn written statement made under oath. An affidavit is meant to be a supporting document to the court assisting in the verification of certain facts. An affidavit may or may not require notarization.