Lawyers for Child Custody in Massachusetts

Married and unmarried parents of children can find themselves arguing about custody, parenting time, and child support when their relationship comes to an end. The Worcester family law attorneys at Murphy & Rudolf, LLP can provide knowledgeable representation to help advocate for your interests and for the best interest of your children.

Types of Child Custody

There are two types of child custody: legal and physical. Physical custody determines where a child will primarily reside, and the child’s school registration as well as contact information for medical or other purposes will be from the parent with physical custody. Legal custody, on the other hand, determines a parent’s right to make decisions about the general welfare of a child.

Under Massachusetts child custody laws, there is no presumption that custody must be shared equally between parents. Parents maintaining separate households should determine if they can have joint custody, where they both share equal responsibilities, or sole custody, where one parent has the primary responsibility for the child. If the parents cannot agree on custody issues, the court will make the decision.

Parenting Time & Child Custody

Commonly known as visitation, parenting time addresses the amount of responsibility of each parent to care for a child in their respective households on a weekly basis and during the holidays. Like custody, there is no presumption that parenting time should be equal between homes. The Worcester lawyers for child custody at Murphy & Rudolf, LLP can provide compassionate representation for child custody disputes.

Our Worcester lawyers for child custody can help you file the appropriate documents with the court to initiate or defend against a complaint. We can also work hard to get you into court quickly to obtain temporary orders of custody, visitation and support. In addition, our team can help you properly gather evidence to support your rights as a parent.