Legal Decision Making/ Parenting Time
If your family law case involves children, the court will have to enter orders regarding legal decision making and parenting time. Legal decision making (formerly known as “custody”) is the right and responsibility to make all nonemergency legal decisions for a child including those regarding education, health care, religious training and personal care.
Parenting time means the schedule of time during which a parent has access to a child at specific times. Each parent during their scheduled parenting time is responsible for providing the child with food, clothing and shelter and may make routine decisions concerning the child’s care.
Courts enter decisions regarding legal decision making and parenting time based upon “the best interest of the child”. As a matter of public policy, absent evidence to the contrary, it is in the child’s best interest for both parents to participate in legal decision making and to have substantial, frequent, meaningful and continuing parenting time with both parents.
Legal Decision Making/ Parenting Time