Giving you and your child
a future together

Child custody and visitation are too important to leave to chance.

Navigating the nuances and complexities of child custody can be overwhelming, and a single misstep can devastate your family and cost you a future with your children.

At Summit Family Law, we guide you through the process so you get the time with your children you deserve. We’ll negotiate on your behalf to find a favorable custody arrangement that holds your children’s best interests in mind and provide options to you for visitation and child support.

Our experienced team of attorneys is ready to fight for the future you and your children deserve.

Child Custody Lawyer

Though you and your spouse are entering the divorce process and want to protect your rights and get the best possible settlement for yourself, as a concerned parent of children below the age of 18, you know how important it is to put the best interests of your children first. Often in heated divorce cases, issues involving child custody become the cause of contention between divorcing parents. Parents trying to resolve these issues can benefit from speaking to a local child custody attorney familiar with the child custody laws in Huntsville, Alabama. 

Common conflicts among parents getting a divorce include where the child will reside, which parent has decision-making authority and over what, whether or not one parent can relocate with the child, and how they will handle shared parenting and visitation. Every parent’s circumstances are different and situations can change as time goes on, long after the divorce ends.

Sometimes after parents have agreed to child custody terms and finalize their divorce, a change of circumstance or a belief their current arrangement is unfair causes them to seek a modification of their existing agreement. In other situations, one or both spouses may refuse to comply with part or all of the terms of their child custody agreement, in which case the aggrieved parent(s) should enlist the assistance of a child custody lawyer.

If any of these possibilities describe you, our Huntsville, Alabama team of child custody lawyers can help. Reach out to us today. 

An Alabama Child Custody Lawyer Can Help With Residence, Decision-Making Authority, Relocation, Shared Parenting & Visitation

Many factors play into the child custody agreement a parent negotiates with their child’s other parent. Whether your concern has to do with residence, who has decision-making authority, whether you or your spouse can relocate with your child, how you will share parenting responsibilities, or some combination of the above, we can assist. Our child custody lawyers located in our Huntsville, Alabama offices have extensive experience negotiating, mediating, and litigating if it becomes necessary to resolve these disputes. We can obtain a settlement that will meet your needs while making the best interests of the child a priority. 

RESIDENCE

Desicion-making Authority

In Alabama, courts generally award joint legal custody to divorcing parents. That means both parents will have a say in major decisions regarding religion, education, and medical decisions, among others. However, if a parent has exhibited poor decision-making where the child is concerned in the past, the court may award one parent sole decision-making authority.

Relocation

As a consequence of divorce, or as an effect of life’s fickleness in general, a parent’s situation may change, requiring they move out of town. The parent may have received a transfer from work, gotten a higher-paying job somewhere else, or could not find gainful employment where they live presently. Regardless of the reason why the parent wants to move, relocation will affect child custody. The good news is our Alabama child custody lawyers are well-versed in child custody issues such as these and can help you work out the arrangement you need.

Visitation Rights & Shared Parenting

Recently, Alabama changed its criteria for determining visitation and shared parenting. Parents no longer need to share physical parenting time equally. Instead, the standard is the child spends as much time with the non-resident parent as practically possible.

In a similar vein, Alabama courts have taken a more hands-off approach to visitation and shared parenting, encouraging divorcing parents to establish routines independently. Our Alabama child custody lawyers can help you create a comprehensive child custody agreement.

An Alabama Child Custody Lawyer Can Help You Modify Or Enforce Your Existing Agreement

Sometimes even the most solid of custody agreements need modification. Your situation at the time of your divorce will not necessarily stay the same in the months and years to come. Divorced parents find new jobs, new spouses, or sometimes desire a change in their lifestyle, all of which can impact an existing child custody agreement. Our Huntsville, Alabama child custody lawyers have the skills to handle any changes that may arise and advocate on your and your children’s behalf. In this way, they can create a child custody arrangement that keeps the child’s best interests at the forefront while taking your wants and needs into consideration.

If your ex-spouse is refusing to follow some or all of the terms of your current child custody arrangement, one of our child custody lawyers can help you file the petitions in court necessary to enforce your agreement. Reach out to us today for assistance. Our Huntsville, Alabama child custody lawyers are here to listen and help you.

Guidance and clarity when you need it most