St. Charles Child Custody Attorneys

Child Custody Lawyers Serving O’Fallon, St. Charles County, and the Surrounding Counties

For divorcing parents, the well-being of your children is of paramount importance. As St. Charles divorce lawyers, Suddarth and Koor, LLC has been involved in countless custody and relocation cases and has testified before the legislature as advocates for putting children first in divorce. Suddarth and Koor, LLC can help you give your children a loving and stable home by advising you on important matters.

Suddarth and Koor, LLC takes this very seriously, so we prioritize the child’s emotional health in every child custody case. We know the deep emotional needs a family has. We provide creative solutions that can build something new and beneficial out of your current family situation.

Child Custody

What is child custody? This is a question we are frequently asked as family law attorneys.

There are several different types of custody including sole physical custody, joint physical custody, sole legal custody, joint legal custody, and supervised visitation.

What is the difference between legal and physical custody? Legal custody of your children means that you are responsible for making crucial decisions in their lives such as where they live, schooling, religion, doctor visits etc. When you were married, you and your spouse probably made these decisions together. If possible, judges like to keep it that way, so it is common for parents to share legal custody, called joint legal custody.

In some situations, parents struggle to agree on decisions and a judge may grant sole legal custody to one parent. This also can happen if one parent lives far away, is not involved in the child’s life, or is abusive. Only one parent would have the sole right to make decisions regarding the child’s education, health, and welfare.

Physical custody is where the child or children live regularly. If this is shared by both parents it is referred to as joint physical custody.

Supervised visitation can be granted by a judge if one parent is considered a high risk to their child. One parent usually is granted sole physical custody, while the other parent is allowed to schedule time with the child, but only under supervision in a safe environment.