How do the courts in California determine custody and visitation?
The custody and visitation schedule of minor children is often the most hotly contested issue in a divorce. The public policy of the State of California is to enable each parent frequent and continuing contact with both parents absent extraordinary circumstances. Often courts do not just consider time share when making custody and visitation determinations. Rather, the courts are interested in how much involvement and what role each parent plays in a child’s life. When court intervention is necessary, the court will often look to the stability factor in a child’s life when making initial custody and visitation determinations. Pre-judgment, custody and timeshare are set depending upon the best interests of the children to assuring each child’s health, safety and welfare. Each party’s respective time with the children will be limited to the timeshare allotted by way of stipulation or Court order unless the parties are able to be flexible and cooperative with their respective parenting sc
