Custody & Parenting Time
Custody & Parenting Time
He’s unique.
She’s special.
And you’re terrified of losing even a single minute of time together.
We get it. Custody and parenting time are the most important issues in your case because your kids are the most important part of your life.
The good news is that the law is on your child’s side. Oregon requires that custody and parenting time be based on a child’s best interests. Not what the parents want. Not what your best friend got in her case. Not what you read online. Because none of that other stuff has anything to do with your child.
But you don’t know what will work. And you have no clue how to get the other parent to agree on where to go for dinner, much less how to raise your child or what sort of parenting schedule the two of you ought to follow.
[Enter Lawyer, stage right]
Educate Yourself
The C word. Custody. It’s been in the back of your mind for a while now. Your friends have been talking about it. And you definitely want it.
But what is it?
Custody is legal decision making authority.
That’s it.
It isn’t about how much or how often you’ll see your child.
It isn’t about how much child support you might pay or receive.
It’s about making decisions.
Which school your child should attend. Which doctor your child should see. Which city your child should live in.
Decide What Really Matters
The bigger issue for most of our clients is parenting time. That’s where we spend time crafting, creating, and building unique solutions that match unique family situations.
And it’s the one that matters most in the long-term.
Children don’t grow up wishing they’d seen a different medical provider. They grow up wishing they’d spent more time with the people who matter most. You’re one of those — the ones that matter most.
Most parents reach an agreement on which of them ought to be the parent making legal decision, or they decide to share the major decisionmaking (i.e., joint custody). Parenting time is the more difficult nut to crack.
Get Some Help
We work with each of our clients to develop a parenting plan that works for their families. We know the tough questions to ask and we know the issues the court is going to focus on if settlement is not possible.
And we know that just because you yelled at your kids that one time, you aren’t a bad parent.
We get it. We’ve been there. That’s why you want us by your side.