Portland Child Custody Attorneys

Serving Families in Our Community with Genuine Care & Concern

When facing all the pivotal decisions that come with divorce and the end of a relationship, many parents find themselves most concerned with protecting their children and ensuring that they have as much time with them as possible. Mothers and fathers understandably worry about maintaining control and sustaining the most important relationships in their lives. In other situations, changes after divorce call for a parenting time or child custody modification that must be approved by the court.

Standing your ground on the time you want with your kids does not have to cause your legal costs to spiral out of control. Our Portland child custody lawyers at Pacific Cascade Family Law, emphasize negotiation and mediation in order to reach agreement on these all-important issues, but if that is not possible, we are prepared to fight for your custody and parenting time goals in court.

What Is Custody in Oregon?

Legal vs. Physical Custody

Having legal custody means that you have the legal right to make major decisions about your child’s welfare and upbringing. These decisions can relate to education, religious upbringing, medical care, and more. Whereas physical custody refers to where the child lives. Both legal and physical custody can be sole or joint.

Joint vs. Sole Custody

There are two possible outcomes when it comes to custody in Oregon. First, the parents can agree that they will share custody which is called joint custody. Joint custody is only available if both parents agree; Family Law Courts do not have the authority to award joint legal custody. Second, one of the parents can have sole custody of the kids. Either the parents can agree on which parent will have sole custody or the court can order which parent will have sole custody of the kids.

There are important legal implications of joint vs. sole custody—both in day to day co-parenting and in future legal disputes that may arise over custody. Therefore, the decision of whether to agree to joint legal custody or to ask for sole legal custody should be made with the help of a knowledgeable Portland child custody lawyer.

Compassionate, Practical Legal Guidance for Oregon Fathers & Mothers

There is no substitute for accurate legal guidance from a child custody attorney on an issue that is so emotionally loaded and surrounded by so many misconceptions as child custody.

Some key points we can discuss include:

• How the court's obligation to protect the best interests of the child should influence your approach to divorce and custody goals
• The distinction between legal custody-entitling a parent to a voice in decision making regarding children-and parenting time orders, which determine where children primarily live
• The relationship between custody orders and child support
• What can be accomplished through creative, resourceful development of parenting plans to best accommodate one parent's role as a "noncustodial" father or mother
• Whether a joint custody order is appropriate, given that it must be agreed to by both parents

Driving for Positive Results: That's Our Commitment at Pacific Cascade Family Law.

Our Portland custody attorneys understand the stress you feel and how devastating the thought of giving up time with your children may be for you. You can count on our compassionate and experienced Portland family law firm to put your goals first and strive to get you the best possible results. Whether you must decide how to approach custody in your divorce, are an unmarried parent with a need to protect your parental rights, or want to pursue a post-divorce modification, we can provide the counsel and advocacy you need, beginning with a phone consultation.

Contact Pacific Cascade Family Law at (503) 573-5566 to speak with a skilled child custody lawyer in Portland today.