Like most other states, North Carolina adopted the Uniform Child Custody Act. This essentially means that the state recognizes joint custody and in some cases takes into account the wishes of the child when it comes to custody and visitation.
The two types of custody are legal custody and physical custody. Legal custody gives parents the right to make important decisions when it comes to the child’s life. This include decisions involving education and medical decisions. Physical custody, on the other hand, determines who the child lives with. In many cases, one parent will have physical custody while the other parent has visitation rights. This allows the child to have a stable home and school life. In most cases, parents are awarded joint legal custody.
North Carolina courts use the best interest of the child standard to decide custody issues. There are a number of factors that may be involved in this decision. For example, the court may look at a parent’s history of domestic violence, the child’s living arrangements, the relationship between the parent and the child and whether or not the parent can adequately care for the child.
When a parent is in the middle of a child custody dispute, it can be difficult splitting time with the child and learning how to co-parent effectively. A family law attorney may help by protecting the parent’s rights when it comes to being able to maintain a positive relationship with the child. This may mean getting enough parenting time and having the ability to be involved with the child’s school life.