At Breitowich Law, we know that time spent with your child is a precious commodity. We’re here to help you navigate the details of a successful co-parenting arrangement.
When determining the most appropriate custody arrangement for a child residing in New Jersey, there are two types of custody that need to be considered: legal custody and residential custody. Legal custody refers to the ability to make decisions about raising and caring for your child. These decisions often surround the child’s health, education and most matters relating to the child’s overall wellbeing. Residential custody refers to where a child resides and where the child spends their time.
Within each of these custody types, there is the option for custody to be joint, split, or shared. With that in mind, potential custody arrangements may include joint legal custody, sole legal custody, joint physical custody, and sole legal and physical custody, shared legal and physical custody.
Within the two areas of custody described above (joint and legal), there is the option for custody to be joint, split, or shared. With that in mind, potential custody arrangements may include the following:
In this arrangement, the child will reside with one parent for most of the time, also known as the Parent of Primary Residence or PPR, and spend the remaining time at the home of the other parent, also known as the Parent of Alternate Residence or PAR. The Parent of Primary Residency will be primarily responsible for the day to day care of the child and the decisions that come along with that responsibility.
The Parent of Alternate Residence will have a parenting time schedule that will allow for the child to spend a designated amount of time at the parent’s home, most often on a set schedule, and provide for holidays to be alternated between the parties.
Under NJ law, courts are given considerable leeway in fashioning custody arrangements. No one family is identical to the next and there is no one set arrangement that works for everyone. When determining a custody arrangement, family court judges currently rule based on the primary underlying factor of what is in the best interests of the children. The courts take several factors into consideration in this determination including but not limited to:
No. This notion finds its basis in the fact that years ago, family courts used to apply a legal principle known as The Tender Years Doctrine in determining child custody. Under this doctrine, many times mothers were often awarded custody due to the fact that they were largely seen by society as being natural caregivers. This was seen as the case with young children specifically, especially children aged 5 and under. Today this principle is thankfully observed as being extremely outdated and it does not have significant influence on decisions surrounding custody.
The underlying consideration when a court makes a child custody decision is the best interest of the child, not the sex or gender role that a parent plays in the child’s life. The law presumes that it is in the child’s best interest to have frequent and continued contact with both parents.
“I love interacting with people and helping them get through serious issues in their lives. Family law matters are not only legally complex, but very emotional for all parties involved. I feel it is my duty to take the legal burden off of my clients so that they can better focus their attention on themselves and their children.”
