Custody Attorneys in Decatur, Alabama
Negotiating visitation or shared custody agreements
Regardless of your relationship with the custodial parent, you have a right to preserve a bond with your child. The attorneys of Edwards, Belser & Smith seek to help families resolve issues of custody and visitation in ways that promote healthy and heartfelt relationships. Where possible, we strive to help our clients achieve out-of-court resolution of a custody agreement. If necessary, we advocate for our clients in court, where judges consider a wide variety of factors when determining whether to adapt a custody agreement. Some of these factors include:
- Evidence of drug or alcohol abuse
- Employment factors and the availability of childcare
- Allegations of the mental and emotional instability
- Prior criminal record and employment history
- Incidents of violence by one parent against another
- Mistreatment of the child by either parent
- A specific request by the child
- Accommodation of parental relocation to an out-of-state location
Managing the costs of child support and custody disputes
Finding affordable legal help can be daunting for families engaged in child support or custody disputes, especially when a parent chooses to deprive a child of access to both parents by seeking to cross state lines. It is not always easy to determine an exact dollar value for what a custody dispute will cost – but a good lawyer will seek to advance a client’s interests by proposing a middle-of-the-road solution before resorting to full-fledged litigation.
The attorneys at Edwards, Belser & Smith have seen hundreds of people put up a fight when one parent threatens to move across the state or tries to assume sole custody. Our goal is to justify our cost by obtaining the cost-conscious outcomes that balance the scales in favor of our clients. Depending on the facts leading up to the situation, we can navigate you toward a speedy and less litigious resolution.
