Riverside Attorney for Disabled Parents: Child Custody and Visitation Rights
From time to time the Court must address the issue of a “disabled parent” seeking custody and/or visitation of their child. Although many parties have attempted to use this “disability” as an automatic reason why some parents should not have custody or visitation with their child, the Court must consider the best interest of the child. In a recent case, I had to remind the Court that a paraplegic father was able to provide the parenting necessary for his son, and that the needed parenting reaches far beyond feeding and dressing his child.
Modern psychology confirms that the core of parenting is not found in the daily routine of carpools and soccer practice. The heart of being a parent is evident in the ethical, intellectual guidance, and emotional input that parents provide their children during the early years of life. The basis of this input starts with the parent’s own life experiences, which they pass on to their children. Lessons and teachings dealing with the fundamentals of how to live and treat people, the value system a child will hold onto, the standards that a child sets for himself, or the goals that she plans for are all a part of the parental influence – and none of these influences come from dressing or feeding a child, but from the mental wealth and knowledge that a parent might share with their child.
Riverside Disabled Parents Child Custody Attorney
A parent’s ability to share with their child far exceeds their physical ability to interact with their child. Although the Court recognized that health and physical conditions may be taken into account, the law prohibits a per se finding that a disability was somehow proof that the parent was unable to provide a meaningful contribution to the child. The Court must look at the best interest of the child, and although physical disability may be considered, it does not prevent parents from maintaining custody or visitation with their children.
If you have any questions regarding disabled parents, with regard to child custody, child visitation, or child support issues, the Law Office of Heath L. Baker will help you. Contact us at (951) 222-2228, or at our website: www.heathbakerlaw.com. We would love to talk to you in person and discuss the family law or divorce issues that are important to you.