St Louis Family Law Attorney
Child Custody | Family Law
Second only to financial support, such as spousal support or child support, child custody creates more tension and disagreement than most other issues in a divorce proceeding. Child custody and visitation are closely related as both involve access to the children play an important role in determining child support.
Child custody is closely considered and evaluated by the court. The overall well-being, care and maintenance of the child is the primary concern in all child custody cases. Often in divorce proceedings, one or both spouses try to discredit the other side in an attempt to persuade the court to award child custody in their favor.
Divorce attorney Chris Cox has more than 20 years of experience in family law. We work diligently to avoid the bitter, counter-productive practices used by many divorce lawyers. Mr. Cox argues your case on the basis of facts and what is in the best interest of the children. Mr. Cox provides the court with financial, personal and psychological reasons in support of your request for custody.
Types of Custody
As in most states, Missouri recognizes two types of child custody:
- Legal Custody
A parent awarded legal custody has decision making authority regarding medical, educational, and religious matters impacting the child. - Physical Custody
A parent may be awarded temporary or sole physical custody but be barred from making decisions only a parent with legal custody can make.
In many cases, parents may share both legal custody and physical custody, known as joint custody. Still, many times only one parent may be awarded both legal and physical custody, known as sole custody.
We accept credit cards for your convenience. Contact our St Louis law firm today to schedule an appointment to learn how our legal expertise can help you acheive your goals. Attorney Chris Cox is conveniently located in Clayton, Missouri just one block from the St. Louis County Courthouse. Call us at 314.727.0163 or contact us online.