What Child Custody Lawyers Do

Child custody lawyers take different approaches to how they bill and how much they charge. For simple, uncontested cases, custody issues attorneys may charge a flat rate for all of the services. However, if you’re having trouble negotiating or are considering going to court, an hourly rate is standard. Rates will vary depending on where you live, so be sure to ask up front how much your lawyer will charge. The law in is clear. It says that it will be in the best interests of children to have a significant relationship with both parents, unless that relationship will expose the children to a risk of family violence, or where there are reasonable grounds to believe that a parent, or a person living with a parent, has abused the child or children, or any other child who was a member of the parent’s or other person’s family.

Child custody lawyers Brisbane work with a parental guardian to persuade the court that their client is better fit to take care of a child. They typically must travel to meet their clients, analyze and explain their case, and give legal advice. A custody issues lawyer will advocate for you in mediation and disputes involving your children, including:
  • Becoming the primary caregiver of your child after a separation or divorce
  • Guide you through paperwork
  • Represent you in court if it reaches that stage
  • Negotiate child support rates
Each parent is presumed by the Court to have equal shared parental responsibility for their children until the children reach 18 years old. Equal shared parental responsibility means that both parents must consult each other in relation to major long-term decisions regarding the children. A major long term decision is defined by the law, and relates to the following factors (but is not limited to them):
  • The child's education
  • The child's religion and culture
  • Medical treatment
  • The child’s name
  • Any changes to the child's living arrangements which make it significantly more difficult for the child to spend time with a parent
Child custody lawyers must be able to work irregular or additional hours throughout the course of their 40-hour workweek, according to caseloads and trial demands. Traveling is common job duty for this career. Child custody lawyers may need to meet at offices, courthouses, law libraries and clients' homes. Typically, child custody lawyers advertise their services to the public and let clients seek them. They meet with potential clients to determine the validity of a custody case. After an agreement is met concerning the lawyer's fees, they'll offer legal advice and begin assisting with the research and preparation of each client's custody case. On the appointed date, a custody lawyer meets the client in court and represents them throughout the trial process. Ideally, a custody lawyer explains each step of the process to the client and offers the best advice possible for each scenario.

Child custody lawyers must obtain licensure, which in the legal field, is also called being admitted to the state bar. This process involves passing a written bar examination, along with passing a separate ethics exam offered by the state. In some cases, lawyers who pass one state's bar exam may be admitted to another state's bar without having to retest, if they possess good work records. Most bar examinations last for six hours and cover a wide range of law issues.

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