Vienna, Virginia Child Custody Lawyer
Serving Clients Throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia
Child custody can be the most trying aspect of a divorce or legal separation. As you think about the future, you may have a lot of unanswered questions and worry about making the right decisions. You need an experienced lawyer on your side who will guide you through the process. At the law office of McDevitt Family Law, I will take the time to address your concerns and educate you about your options. For more than a decade, I have been representing clients in child custody and visitation cases.
As an experienced family law attorney, I have worked with custodial and non-custodial parents at all stages of a child custody or visitation dispute.
My firm handles cases involving:
- Establishing and modifying custody
- Visitation agreements
- Move-aways or child relocations
- Requests for modification or enforcement
- Supervised visitation
- Restrictions on behavior when the child is present
- Mental health evaluations
- Guardian ad litem appointment
- Child support
Contact me for a free initial consultation about your case.
Compassionate, Effective Representation
A parent myself, I understand the strife that can result from lengthy discussions about child custody. I will help you find the best possible solution and resolve your case as quickly as possible.
To help protect your children from the anxiety of disputes, I will work closely with you to pursue options that avoid long, expensive court battles. Because I have restricted my practice to family law, I can bring insight to help you come to an agreement.
Mediation can be a constructive method of finding middle ground between you and your spouse in child custody disputes. As a mediator, my job is help you and your spouse find common ground and the underlying interest of each of you. It is also my responsibility to equalize any power differentials between the two of you so that you are both empowered and both understand your rights and your options before entering into a separation agreement or settlement.
What Are My Rights?
In Virginia, the mother and father have equal rights when it comes to child custody. Contrary to popular belief, there is no bias against fathers in favor of mothers. Both parents are considered to be fit and proper custodians of children unless proven otherwise.
There are two types of custody. First, there is legal custody. Legal custody involves the right to make important decisions regarding the child, including education, health and welfare. Joint legal custody is the norm, unless there is some important reason to do otherwise. Second, there is physical custody. Physical custody is the time the child shall reside with each parent. Physical custody can be defined or awarded in a variety of ways depending on your unique family situation.
Often times a parent has concerns about the behavior of the other parent. For example, perhaps the other parent has a girlfriend or a boyfriend spend the night while the child is in their care. Perhaps the other parent drinks excessively when the child is visiting. If these are your concerns, I can address this in your custody agreement or present this concern to the court in litigation.
Whatever conflicts you and the other parent of your child may have, I can help you make arrangements that are in the best interests of your child and that will help you begin on a positive path to co-parenting.
Contact me at my Vienna, Virginia, office to discuss your case.
