Required

Common Effects on Child Custody Decisions in Chattanooga

The many common effects on child custody decisions in Chattanooga, it is critical that you take every step that you are able to increase the chances of a favorable outcome. An experienced attorney could gather the facts of your case and present them in a manner that is becoming of you in front of a judge. Do not let the fate of your parental rights to chance.

What Affects Child Custody Decisions

There are many things that commonly affect child custody in Chattanooga. Under Tennessee §36-6-106, there are 15 factors that a judge has to consider when making an order for a parenting plan or for custody. They include the strength, the nature, and the stability of the child’s relationship with each parent, including whether one parent has performed the majority of parenting responsibilities related to the child.

Each parent’s past and potential future of performance of those parenting responsibilities, along with each parent’s willingness to facilitate and encourage a continuing parent-child relationship with other parents, is also considered. Often, the court orders the parents to attend a parenting seminar and the court would consider if the parents had actually attended that seminar. The next consideration is the disposition of each parent to provide the child with food, clothing, and medical care, education, and other necessary care.

Another consideration is the degree to which a parent has been the primary caregiver which is defined as the parent who has taken the greater responsibility for performing parent responsibilities. The love and affection and emotional ties existing between the parent and child, the emotional needs and developmental level of the child, each parent’s moral, physical, mental, and emotional fitness as it relates to their ability to parent the child are all considered. The child’s interaction with siblings and other relatives, step-relatives in the parent’s home or in each parent’s home, the importance of continuity in the child’s life in the length of time the child has lived in a stable, satisfactory environment, the court considers all of this evidence.

The court would also consider the character and behavior of any other person who resides in the home with the parent. If the child is 12 years of age or older, the court considers the child’s preference on where they would like to live but the court is, of course, not required to take that preference. It is just a consideration like all of these other factors. The court considers the parent’s employment schedule and their ability to make accommodations with that schedule consistent with the child’s schedule. Any other factors deemed relevant by the court could be considered in making a parenting plan.

Enlist the Services of an Experienced Chattanooga Divorce Lawyer for Help

A Chattanooga divorce lawyer could help you seem favorable for their child custody case by preparing a case that considers each factor. Because of the many common effects on child custody decisions in Chattanooga, an attorney could be more valuable than ever. Reach out to an attorney today.

Get Help From Our Experienced Attorneys