Dayton Child Custody Attorneys

Ohio Child Custody Lawyers Serving Clients in Dayton

Child custody cases are often among the most emotionally difficult and contentious family law matters. Our Dayton child custody attorneys can help you through the process. We know how important it is to have an experienced child custody lawyer on your side who can ensure that your voice is heard and will do everything possible to work toward a shared parenting arrangement that is in you and your child’s best interests. Under Ohio law, courts do not award child custody to one or both parents, but instead courts allocate parental rights and responsibilities for the care of a minor child, focusing on a shared parenting arrangement that is in the best interest of the child. Whether you have questions about child custody generally in Ohio or need assistance with a child custody dispute, our firm can speak with you today.

Allocating Parental Rights and Responsibilities in Dayton, Ohio

Ohio law clarifies that in any divorce, legal separation, or annulment, a court can allocate parental rights and responsibilities for the care of the minor children from the marriage. The court can allocate parental rights and responsibilities in one of two ways:

• Court will consider what type of parenting arrangement is in the child’s best interest and will designate the parental responsibilities accordingly. One parent will be the “residential parent,” or the parent with whom the children live primarily. That parent will also likely have the primary responsibility for daily care of the children and the decision-making regarding the child’s schooling, medical care, religious upbringing, etc, while the other parent will share in these duties but have a less prominent role. 
• Court will approve a plan for shared parenting when it is in the best interest of the children, which will involve the court dividing the parental duties between the parents so that they share decision-making responsibilities and daily care activities. 

Dayton Best Interest of the Child Factors

When courts allocate parental rights and responsibilities, they focus on the child’s best interest. The following are statutory factors the court can consider when determining what kind of parenting arrangement or allocation is best for the minor children:

• Wishes of the parents;
• Child’s wishes;
• Child’s interactions with parents, siblings, and others;
• Child’s adjustment to home, school, and community;
• Mental and physical health of all the parties;
• Each parent’s likelihood of honoring parenting time and visitation arrangements;
• Each parent’s history of making child support payments;
• History of criminal conduct of either parent or a member of the parent’s household;
• Whether a parent has a history of denying the other parent’s rights to parenting time; and
• Whether either parent has plans to move outside the state.

The court considers additional factors when determining whether shared parenting is appropriate.

Contact a Dayton Child Custody Attorney

If you need assistance with a child custody case, you should get in touch with an experienced child custody attorney in Dayton today. At Comunale Law Office, we have years of experience representing parents in various types of family law matters and can talk with you today about your child custody case. Contact Comunale Law Office to learn more about the services we provide to individuals and families in Dayton, Ohio.