Alexandria Child Custody Lawyers

Child custody is one of the issues in divorce that can become even more acrimonious than dividing the money. Parents love their children, and everyone wants what is best for them. However, it is common for divorcing parents to disagree over what is indeed best for their children.

At Jeffrey A. Vogelman and Associates, our Alexandria child custody attorneys assist clients through child custody disputes and other aspects of the divorce process, including child custody in military divorces. Our lawyers have more than 30 years of legal experience and a strong commitment to providing personalized, comprehensive representation. We are here to help you protect your child and obtain an equitable outcome in your child custody dispute.

Custody in Virginia can involve physical custody (with whom the child lives) and legal custody (which parent makes the key decisions for the child, including medical, schooling and lifestyle decisions). Virginia courts will generally grant one of the following:

• Sole custody: This is when one parent has complete physical custody and legal custody. It is rare for courts to grant sole custody to one parent without compelling reason, which usually involves evidence of unfitness for parenting against the noncustodial parent.
• Shared custody: Shared custody is when each of the parents has close to equal time with the child. Often, shared custody involves the child living with each parent at different set times (Monday through Thursday with one parent and Friday through Sunday with the other parent, for example). Usually, shared custody involves physical and legal custody.
• Split custody: Split custody involves more than one child in a divorce, where each parent has full physical and legal custody over at least one of the children.
• Combination: Virginia courts can grant combinations, or hybrids, of these various forms of custody if the agreement is equitable and in the best interests of the child or children.

One of the most contentious issues in child custody is custodial access. Sometimes, a parent feels like an agreement does not allow enough access to the child, and in other cases, one parent violates the custody agreement by denying access to the other parent. We can help you establish an equitable custody agreement or modify an existing custody agreement to better suit your needs and the needs of your child.

To schedule a consultation with an experienced child custody and visitation lawyer from Jeffrey A. Vogelman and Associates, call Jeff Vogelman at 703-838-0090 or contact us online.

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