Child Custody: Whose best interest?

Speaking as an experienced Pittsburgh Divorce Attorney, divorce isn’t easy for anyone. When children are involved, the break-up can be especially difficult. Not only have two adults decided to end their relationship with one another, but now their children will be split between the two new households. Usually, both parents love their children equally and both want to spend as much time as possible with the kids. With both Mom and Dad vying for time with their children, and only so many hours in the day, how does a Judge decide how the children’s time should be divided?

Although the law directs that the Court consider a number of factors, the decision boils down to one question: “What custody arrangement is in the best interest of the child?” Therefore, the Court pays little mind to what Mom or Dad want, but instead focuses on how the children’s time should be divided to ensure that the children have a happy, healthy and successful childhood. As a parent in a heated child custody dispute, it can be easy to lose sight of this goal. Both parents inevitably believe that they are the more capable caregiver and that he or she should have primary custody. As a parent going through the process, if you start feeling as though you are getting the short end of the custody arrangement, try to put yourself in the Judge’s shoes and consider the “best interests of the child.”