There are so many components that are involved in a child custody hearing and you need to be aware of all of them to ensure the outcome of the matter is beneficial to you and your child.
Your Child’s Preference Matters
According to Section 63-15-30 of the South Carolina Children’s Code, your child also has a say as to which parent they want to live with. If you know your kids wish to live with you as opposed to their other parent, you want them to be prepared to express their wishes. You also want to be able to provide adequate proof that your children have stated that they would rather be with you. Our child custody attorneys in South Carolina understand how serious these cases can be and you don’t want to risk losing any time with your children if it isn’t in their best interest.
Some of the things the courts are going to consider when hearing their preference on who they get to live with include:
- The child’s age
- Experience
- Maturity
- Judgement
- Ability to express a preference
This can sometimes be a bit overwhelming for your child so you need to be prepared in the event your child isn’t able to express their wishes clearly. The South Carolina child custody lawyers featured on our site are well-versed in the field and will know just what to do in the event this happens.
What are Parenting Plans and Do I Need One?
Something else that is going to play a role in your child custody matter is your parenting plan. Based on the information provided by the South Carolina Legislature site, at all temporary hearings where custody is contested, each parent is expected to prepare, file, and submit to the court their parenting plan that highlights the following information:
- A reflection of your preferences
- The allocation of parenting time to be spent with each parent
- Major decisions including your child’s education, medical and dental care, etc.
While you can submit a parenting plan jointly with your child’s other parent, if you are looking to obtain full custody, it may be in your best interest to have one of our reliable and knowledgeable child custody lawyers in SC work with you on your own plan to submit.
Once your parenting plan is received by the courts, it will then be used to help influence the decision that is made on how your child’s time is going to be divided between both caregivers.
You don’t want to jeopardize the time you get with your child which is why you want to ensure you have the proper legal counsel working on your side.
