Legal Custody Gives the Parent the Right to Make Long-Term Decisions
Video Transcribed: My name is Jason Lile, and I am a Tulsa Dads Rights lawyer. I wanted to talk to you today about something that can confuse many clients that come to me for help, and that is what exactly is custody of your child?
If you’re going through a divorce or weren’t married to your child’s mother or partner, then when you go into district court, custody is one of the main things the court will deal with. And you should understand, and a good lawyer should help explain that there are three issues with custody in Oklahoma.
The first one is legal custody. And all that legal custody means is decision-making authority. Whether or not you’re jointly making decisions with your co-parent or whether or not one party or the other has sole decision-making authority or the final say for those decisions is legal custody.
And you should know that the default for the court is that you should co-parent with your ex, the baby’s other parent. And by that, it means you should cooperate or be able to cooperate enough to make joint decisions about that child.
The next step for the court, if you or the other parent tell the court, “We just can’t get along well enough to make decisions,” is that it will decide which of the two of you is more likely to encourage a relationship with the other parent. That’s always the court’s priority.
And if that’s you, and you find yourself in the position that you cannot get along with the other parent. Still, you’ve always tried and strived or are willing to strive toward encouraging that child and facilitating a relationship with the other parent. Sole legal custody might be for you, and a reasonable family law attorney should be able to represent you accordingly.
Watch for my next video, where I will talk about physical custody. So if you have any questions about this or ever need a Child Custody Attorney for Fathers in Tulsa, Okla, or a Child Support Attorney For Fathers in Tulsa, Okla, please contact dads.law.
