Child Custody and Visitation Attorney in Los Angeles, California

How does the court take into account the best interests of the child in a custody determination?

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so the court has broad discretion to
determine best interest of the child uh
when a portioning time share between the
two parents the Court’s going to assume
that spending time with both parents is
in the child’s best interest unless
there’s a superseding overriding concern
the court wants to take into
consideration such as maybe a substance
abuse issues um that one parent
struggles with or perhaps a domestic
violence situation that’s gone on um
whether toward the other co-parent or
even the child God forbid but the court
can definitely take all of that
information and will want to know about
that when fashioning a time share
agreement or a parenting plan that’s in
the best interest of the children

Los Angeles, CA family law attorney Robyn Santucci talks about how the court takes into account the best interests of the child in a custody determination. She explains that courts have broad discretion in determining the child’s best interests when allocating parenting time. Typically, they presume that spending time with both parents is beneficial for the child unless a significant concern exists, such as one parent’s substance abuse or a history of domestic violence affecting either the co-parent or the child. In creating a time-sharing arrangement or parenting plan, the court carefully considers these factors to prioritize the child’s well-being.

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