Helping Build Agreement: Child Custody, Parenting Decisions, and Parenting Time
Redlands, California Attorney Lenita Skoretz

California courts urge parents to participate in an "equal share" plan for parenting time. In most cases, joint custody is in the best interest of the child. In some cases, it is not.

At the Redlands, California, child custody and family law practice of attorney Lenita Skoretz, it is my mission to provide my clients with both the knowledge and the opportunity to meaningfully participate in the process of finding a legal resolution to their family law concern, especially in child custody and visitation agreements. Contact me for help building your agreement and a workable relationship with your ex-spouse.

In divorce cases involving children, the court will order a couple to attend one mediation session in order to reach a custody and parenting time ("visitation") agreement. I offer my clients the opportunity to work out all of their family law and divorce issues in a cooperative setting, including child custody, child and spousal support, property settlement, and guardianship. I use collaborative law and mediation, often working with clients and a counselor to help them reach mutually agreeable resolutions.

When Agreement Cannot Be Reached

If a couple cannot reach a co-parenting plan that is acceptable to both parties, the family court judge will have to make the child placement decision, and he or she will place the child in the home most likely to promote frequent and continuing contact with the non-custodial parent-even if that contact must be supervised.

It is important for parents to recognize that a child custody fight is very difficult for children. It should be avoided when at all possible. I will take a custody case to trial, however, when there is a compelling case for why one parent should be favored for primary custody.

In such a case, the court will carefully review any charges of domestic violence or child abuse, examining police documentation, psychological evaluations, and parent-child interactions. A professional evaluator will gather a family history, children and parents will be sent to counseling, and a forensic psychologist's report will be prepared for the court.

If you need an assertive trial lawyer to help you present a persuasive case for child custody, please contact me to discuss the specifics of your situation.

Attorney Lenita Skoretz provides legal counsel to individuals and families in Redlands and Riverside counties in California, including the cities of Redlands, San Bernardino, Yucaipa, Fontana, Loma Linda, and Riverside.