Child Custody

When mothers and fathers dissolve a relationship, it is easy to forget that while they are fighting over child custody, they both will remain as a parent to the child or children. Eventually, most child custody battles find resolution and parents find a way to co-parent together throughout the children’s lives. It can be difficult for clients to remember that Colorado is a no-fault state; Colorado does not take “fault” into account when determining child custody, or how children should spend time with each parent. The standard to be applied is merely what is in the “best interests” of the child.

The “best interest” standard is used by the Court to determine the answers to three simple questions. First, what will be the parenting plan, or what days and times will a child spend with a particular parent? Second, will the parents make parenting decisions together regarding education, medical, religious, or extracurricular activities, or will one parent be responsible for making all the decisions in each or all of these categories (i.e., child custody)? Lastly, how much will one parent pay the other in child support? While it is tempting to use attorneys and the Court system to fight with one another, it is far less expensive to realize that both parties will remain parents after the breakup, each exercising some degree of child custody, and must, therefore, find a way to work together. Our Lakewood child custody lawyers encourage both parents to seek compromise that results in the children maintaining or rebuilding healthy relationships with both parents.

Nevertheless, while the Lakewood child custody lawyers of the Bagley Law Firm, LLC work collaboratively to find a resolution that will benefit the children, it is not always possible to find an easy resolution. For instance, sometimes the opposing party insists on fighting. In this case, no one is better at defending their clients and fighting for child custody than the attorneys of the Bagley Law Firm, LLC. While the questions might be simple, gathering the evidence and presenting a case that is most beneficial to the client is a finely honed skill that not many attorneys possess. For example, while Colorado is a “no fault” state, this does not mean that the other parent is a good parent. It is possible that our Lakewood child custody attorneys must show, proving without questions, to the Court that the other parent is a danger to the children (or that excessive parenting time with the other parent is not in that child’s best interest, period). Reasons why our Lakewood child custody lawyers might argue a decrease in parenting time might include a legal finding of domestic violence, alcohol or substance abuse, simple parental neglect (or laziness), or one of many other factors.

Regardless of the issues that impact you or your children, our Lakewood child custody lawyers can help you protect yourself and your children. Call us today at (720) 815-4824 to schedule an appointment to discover how we can help you and your family make the best of an unfortunate situation.