Decision-Making Power
Parents with legal custody have the right to make decisions regarding their child. This is a very important right.
Legal custody can give you the right to make many important decisions regarding your child’s upbringing. Typically, these decisions can include such issues as:
- Where your child will go to school
- What your child’s religious upbringing will be
- What non-necessary medical procedures or treatment your child will undergo
- Whether your child can enroll in the military before turning 18
- Whether your child can modify their body in any way (i.e. piercings, tattoos) before they turn 18
Day to day decisions can be made by parents with physical custody, or the right to have their child live with them. These can include what your child will wear, what he or she will eat, and what activities he or she may participate in after school.
All decisions with regards to raising your child are important, and legal custody gives you important rights that you should exercise. Unfortunately, when parents share legal custody, disputes can easily arise if they disagree on major issues such as those listed above. Without the proper provisions, a custody order granting shared legal custody to both parents may not be enough to prevent disputes in the future over who has the final say on the decisions. While a custody order can establish which parent has the right, it may not provide guidance on what happens if both parents cannot agree. This is a common problem parents who share legal custody face.
These are major decisions, and fighting over them can expose your child to harmful conflict. So, how can you prevent this from happening? First, speak with an experienced New Jersey child custody attorney about your options. Your custody order may indicate if either of you has the final say in the decisions. If the other parent has the final say and you don’t believe this is in your child’s best interests, you may be able to petition the court to have the order modified. But, to ask the judge to do so, you will need to demonstrate why the other parent should not be permitted to make those decisions and how this will ultimately be in your child’s best interests. Such restrictions are common when there is abuse, neglect, or domestic violence involved.
If you have questions about legal custody, Williams Law Group, LLC can assist you. The skilled attorneys at Williams Law Group, LLC can help you navigate process of seeking custody or help you defend your custodial rights. Located in Union, New Jersey, Williams Law Group, LLC provides compassionate and dedicated legal services to Union, Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Monmouth, and Middlesex counties, and the surrounding areas. Our knowledgeable attorneys handle divorce and family law, child custody, and child abuse/neglect cases. Call our office at (908) 810-1083, email us at info@awilliamslawgroup.com, or contact us through our confidential online form to schedule a consultation and ultimately get you connected with an experienced New Jersey divorce and child custody attorney.
