When you’re talking about child custody in Wisconsin, you’ll hear the term best interest of the child. Typically, when the courts have to decide who gets child custody, that’s the judge’s primary concern – what’s best for the child or children involved.
Here’s what the phrase means.
What Does “Best Interest of the Child” Mean?
Most divorcing parents in Wisconsin are able to reach child custody agreements on their own. Together, they decide things like legal custody and physical placement. When two parents agree, the judge is likely to sign off on the agreement – as long as it’s fair to everyone involved and has the child’s best interests at heart. However, there are some cases in which parents are unable to agree on child custody; that’s when the courts have to step in and determine what’s in the child’s best interests.
When the courts are looking at what’s best for the child, the judge will consider things like:
- The child’s age
- The child’s health
- The connections between each parent and the child
- The child’s ties to home, community and school
- Whether there’s a history of family violence
- Whether each parent is capable of caring for the child emotionally, physically and emotionally
Sometimes the courts decide to give both parents legal and physical custody of the child; in other cases, those types of custody are split up. Legal custody is a parent’s right to make important decisions about a child’s upbringing, medical care (non-emergency), religion and education. The term physical placement refers to how much time the child spends in each parent’s care.
Do You Need to Talk to a Lawyer About Child Custody and Your Child’s Best Interests?
If you’re a divorcing parent, you may need to talk to an attorney about child custody and how the courts determine the best interest of the child. We can help – call us at 414-383-6700 for a free consultation today.
