What Are Parental Rights?

Parental rights refer to the rights and responsibilities of parents in regard to their children. These rights include the right to make decisions about the child's upbringing, the right to custody of the child, and the responsibility to support the child. When parents are going through a divorce or a child custody issue, these rights are often a point of contention. Parental rights can also be affected by other family law matters, such as a parent's failure to pay child support or a child's relocation with a parent.

How Are Parental Rights Determined?

In any family law decision concerning children, the best interests of those children are of the utmost importance. Courts will look to a variety of factors to determine the arrangements that will best support the health, safety, development, and support of children.

The court that is handling your family law case may evaluate factors such as:

• The child’s relationship with each parent

• The parents’ relationship with each other

• Any history of abuse or neglect

• The mental and physical fitness of each parent

• Schedules of the parents and children

• Each parent’s income

This list is only a sample of the elements that may be considered in your case. The courts will look at the entire picture of your situation to arrive at a favorable solution.

Contact Us Today

Parental rights cases involve many different situations — a divorcing couple may need to create a child support arrangement, an unmarried father may wish to establish paternity, or a child’s grandparents may want to secure visitation rights. Our experienced parental rights attorney in San Diego cam evaluate the unique details of your circumstance and fight for a resolution that safeguards your parental rights and protects the best interests of your child.