Info On Child Custody Assessment Tools

By Michael McDonald


Practically, all courts use a certain technique while coming to a conclusion about which parent a child is supposed to live with in cases of separation or divorce. One thing is for sure, the technique has to have the childs welfare in its outcome. In regards to the child custody assessment tools, there have been cases where a judge has given an order for both parents to undergo a drug test failure to which a parent may lose custody.

Can custody be given to only one parent? This is not a certain outcome. Partial custody can be awarded to both parents which is also called joint custody. It takes three forms. Joint physical custody whereby they spend times with the kids, joint legal custody in which both parents participate in decision making and the last one takes both joint physical custody and joint legal custody.

In a custody battle, are mothers favored than fathers? In the past, this was the case. Mothers were the custodians of children below five years. Of late, most states are fair in their ruling. Both parents have a fair chance as their capability to take care of the children is considered. The parent that has the childrens best interests will win despite the gender.

In case of an argument, quarrel or any other reason and one parent moves out, his chances of getting custody for the children reduces. It is considered irresponsible for the parent to leave and in the process leave the kids behind. Even if the quarrel would have led to something catastrophic, it does not let the parent off the hook.

The childs custody depends highly also on the parents lifestyle. If a parent smokes and takes more alcohol than the other, chances are that he/she will not get the custody. A child has to live where his health will not be at risk. There are other social aspects too. If there is a history about child abuse, that would be an immediate red flag.

Before getting custody, one has to be able to provide in general a good stable environment for the kids. The parent has to be able to give them the basic necessities like shelter, food clothes, a nice home and basic medical care. It will also depend on the bond a child has with the parent. A parent with a strong bond with their kids will most definitely get custody.

The sexual orientation of a parent fighting for custody has been a topic in most states. Some states do not mind a parents sexual orientation and can get custody as long as they can provide for them. In some states though, being gay equals reducing your chances at getting custody and in some cases being denied visitation rights.

Sometimes, all these dynamics does not favor a parent over the other. What will the court do? The other option for the court is to consider the guardian who will nurture a better bond between the children and the other parent who will not get custody. Most likely the parent will be the primary caregiver since birth and can give the same lifestyle to the children as they are used to.




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