Rancho Santa Fe Child Custody Attorney Services in San Diego

For most parents undergoing divorce or legal separation in San Diego who live in Rancho Santa Fe, the issue of child custody, quite understandably assumes primary significance. The issue of child custody on the other hand, can be intertwined with matters relating to child support and child visitation. Thus preparing a parenting plan for both the parents and the child is the most important work of a Rancho Santa Fe child custody attorney.

A better appreciation of the services that a Rancho Santa Fe child custody attorney provides to his client, the mother or the father of a child, can be had if they are discussed in the light of the Family Law Code in California. The San Diego Judge’s follow the law in California however local rules of Court can differ in the different counties in California. As such, it is very important to hire an attorney who is experienced in San Diego Superior Court.

As per the laws prevalent in San Diego County, parents contemplating divorce or legal separation are required to go through a mediation session presided over by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who acts as the mediator, in an effort to reach a mutual consent regarding the parenting plan in the event they cannot agree on where the child or children will be living and the parenting plan schedule. This session takes place before the Court passes a judgment pertaining to custody and visitation rights unless there is neglect, abuse or molest in which the Judge may make temporary orders pending the mediation. However, if the parents cannot reach an agreement about the parenting plan during the session, the mediator is required to present a written recommendation to both the parents and the Judge as San Diego is a “recommending” county as compared to Orange which is not. In San Diego, the Judge mostly accepts the recommendations of the mediator so it is crucial to understand the process and be well informed.

A Rancho Santa Fe child custody attorney helps his client prepare for this mandatory mediation session by helping him or her understand the legal requirements and the techniques and strategies that may be employed during the session to enforce an outcome that will protect their rights and try and obtain their goals while keeping in mind the best interests of the child which is the legal standard.

Apart from instances involving child abuse, child neglect, or child molestation where sole legal custody may be granted, the Court may order legal custody that is generally held jointly by both the parents or physical custody rights where either one or both parents are deemed the physical custodian of the child. A Rancho Santa Fe child custody attorney also helps settle disputes centering around child custody and visitation rights, which unfortunately, are not uncommon.

The Rancho Santa Fe child custody attorneys on board Doppelt and Forney, APLC have been successfully dealing with such cases for their many clients in Rancho Santa Fe and other areas of San Diego for many years while operating from the same office since 1998.

The attorneys at Doppelt and Forney, APLC provide both full-time attorney and paralegal services to their clients apart from a host of other benefits like free in-person or virtual consultation of up to 30 minutes, free child support analysis for temporary and permanent orders using the Disso Master, and no additional charges for routine court filings in San Diego. Rated A+ by the San Diego Better Business Bureau and listed in Marquis’ Who’s Who in American Law, the competence and the empathy of the attorneys at Doppelt and Forney, APLC are also testified to by their many satisfied clients.