Why Your Child Matters Most

_{Why Your Child Matters Most}

 _{A couple recently interviewed was asked what mattered most in their marriage. The unanimous answer was ‘our children’. You would have naturally expected each to mention their spouse, but, the children topped their list.}

 _{The irony is that a notable trend seen in the past 20 years as reported by New York Times is that most couples no longer view children as essential to a happy relationship. Children ranked low in a survey, What Makes Marriage Work, and yet when adults face divorce or family feuds, children take the center stage and child custody battles set in immediately.}

 _{When divorce happens, legal experts agree that child custody can be the most contentious issue in divorce, more than the division of assets and wealth.}

 _{Unlike property or money that can be divided and shared, children cannot be treated the same way. A lot of issues crop up when your child is at the center of a legal battle. And often, unlike when sharing property, you cannot avoid sitting down and talking to your estranged partner.}

 _{Putting your guts down and talking about what is best for your child is probably the best decision you can make in the midst of such turmoil. A Houston child custody lawyer advises that both parents should take parenting and child discipline classes to help you to work together and prevent common problems children face during a divorce.}

 _{There are certain things that matter to your child and these, experts advise, must take the center stage in every custody decision. These include:}

 _{1.The child’s education}

_{The decision is made on who gets to choose the child’s school or where the child will attend school. In joint legal custody, both parents are involved in this decision along with the day-to-day school activities of the child.}

 _{2. Healthcare insurance}

_{Although the law differs from one state to another, all laws require divorced parents to provide adequate healthcare coverage for their children. In most cases, the court would order the parents to pay for medical and dental expenses.}

 _{3. Where the child will stay}

_{This depends on the type of custody awarded by the court. The court may award physical custody to one parent with whom the child lives most of the time or joint custody where both parents share an equal amount of time with the child.}

 _{4. Child support}

_{The court can sometimes compel a parent to pay for child support in a case where the parents don’t agree on a fair child support payment. The money would be paid to the custodial parent and most courts order for a monthly monetary payment.}

 _{These dynamics and a host of others make child custody one of the most difficult aspects of family law, experts conclude. However, despite these challenges, it is agreed that when you both put the child’s welfare and needs ahead of other issues and demonstrate this to the mediator and court, you will both have a desirable end that works best for your child.}

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie, and David Cates