Divorce is one of the most emotionally turbulent periods of life, not only for the couple going through it, but the children who find it very challenging to cope with their parents’ legal separation. You may have made the difficult choice of legally separating from your spouse, but the next major decision to be made is which parent will have custody and placement of the children? Divorce and child custody issues are delicate.  Divorce may have terminated your role as a partner/spouse, but it has not taken away your role as a parent.  At Eisenberg Law, our child custody attorneys in Madison WI recognize this important factor when providing our expert legal services in child custody cases in Wisconsin.

Child custody is one of the most important steps taken after a divorce or partner dissolution. This step actually determines how well your children will fare in the wake of their parents’ legal separation. In Wisconsin, two types of child custody exist: legal custody and physical custody.

This refers to the major decisions that parents make for their children such as medical decisions, educational and religious decisions.  Legal custody can either be shared/joint or solo. Shared legal custody means both parents have an equal right to make key choices for their children.  Sole legal custody is granted to only one parent who can rightfully decide things for the children.

With joint custody, both parents have an equal say in decisions that affect their children.  Even if the parties don’t agree, joint custody may still be granted if the court determines that both parties are indeed well suited and cooperative enough to fulfill parental responsibilities and that there are no significant obstacles to granting joint legal custody. Legal custody may also be mixed singly and joint in which parents can make some decisions together for their children, but not all.

Also known as ‘physical placement,’ this is the actual amount of time a child physically spends with each parent. Wisconsin child custody laws state that courts have to consider the following factors when deciding on the period of physical placement:

• Wishes of the parent(s) and of the children
• Relationship between parents and children and the children’s familiarity with the home, school and community
• Whether there is any abuse – physical, drugs, alcohol, etc.
• Both parents’ mental and physical health and whether child care services are available in the vicinity.
• Whether any party will negatively affect the children’s relationship with the other party.

Visitation refers to the time that a parent can spend with the child following a divorce or partner dissolution. Divorce and child custody issues also affect other close relatives, especially the rights of grandparents.  If you are seeking grandparents’ visitation rights, we at Eisenberg Law can help you acquire visitations and can make the process as smooth as possible.

Wisconsin child custody laws require that both parents must get some time with the children (not necessarily equal time) unless the courts find something seriously wrong with one party.  Eisenberg Law Offices in Madison, Wisconsin, is committed to provide you with the best legal advice regarding the custody of your children, considering your particular circumstances and interests.

Our expert child custody lawyers in Madison WI will work tirelessly to ensure a bright, secure future for yourself and your children. Contact us today for a free consultation and let our child custody attorneys save you from further agony!