Washington DC Custody Agreements and Parenting Plans - Important Laws to Know
Title 16, Chapter 9 of the Washington DC Official Code contains the laws that regulate domestic affairs.
Within this section of law, parents involved in a custody situation can find the necessary rules and guidelines to help them make a custody agreement.
The custody agreement is of the utmost importance because it regulates the custody situation until the child is an adult.
Parents should do everything in their power to make an agreement that is best for the child and that will also be accepted by the court.
Here is an overview of some of the laws that impact how the parenting plan is made.
1.
Presumption of joint custody.
Title 16, Chapter 9 explains that Washington DC has a presumption that joint custody is in the best interest of the child.
This means that a joint custody agreement will be ordered by the court unless a parent can show that joint custody is detrimental to the child.
In most cases, parents should try to work out a parenting plan that divides the legal and physical parenting responsibilities.
Joint custody doesn't mean that each parent has exactly equal time with the child.
Rather it means that both parents are actively involved in the child's life.
2.
Authority of the court.
Parents in Washington DC are encouraged to work together to make a parenting plan.
If they cooperate and submit a plan together to the court, the court will accept the plan and make it a legal document.
However, if the custody agreement is contested, the court has the authority to make decisions about the custody arrangements.
This means that the court can choose to accept either parent's plan, combine elements of both plans into a new one, or create an entirely new plan.
The court then makes the agreement into a custody order.
The custody order is a legal document that the parents are obligated to follow.
3.
Best interest of the child.
Title 16-914 makes it very clear that all custody decisions made by the court will be done based on what is best for the child.
Parents should also use this standard as they make the parenting plan.
When determining what is best for the child, the court will consider: the wishes of the child and the parents; the interaction and interrelationship between the child and the parents, the child and other siblings, and the child and other significant family members; the willingness of the parents to share custody; the prior involvement of each parent with the child; the potential disruption of the child's school and social life; the geographic proximity of the parents; the demands of parental employment; the age and number of children; the sincerity of each parent's request; the parent's ability to financially support a joint custody arrangement; and the benefit to the parents.
Within this section of law, parents involved in a custody situation can find the necessary rules and guidelines to help them make a custody agreement.
The custody agreement is of the utmost importance because it regulates the custody situation until the child is an adult.
Parents should do everything in their power to make an agreement that is best for the child and that will also be accepted by the court.
Here is an overview of some of the laws that impact how the parenting plan is made.
1.
Presumption of joint custody.
Title 16, Chapter 9 explains that Washington DC has a presumption that joint custody is in the best interest of the child.
This means that a joint custody agreement will be ordered by the court unless a parent can show that joint custody is detrimental to the child.
In most cases, parents should try to work out a parenting plan that divides the legal and physical parenting responsibilities.
Joint custody doesn't mean that each parent has exactly equal time with the child.
Rather it means that both parents are actively involved in the child's life.
2.
Authority of the court.
Parents in Washington DC are encouraged to work together to make a parenting plan.
If they cooperate and submit a plan together to the court, the court will accept the plan and make it a legal document.
However, if the custody agreement is contested, the court has the authority to make decisions about the custody arrangements.
This means that the court can choose to accept either parent's plan, combine elements of both plans into a new one, or create an entirely new plan.
The court then makes the agreement into a custody order.
The custody order is a legal document that the parents are obligated to follow.
3.
Best interest of the child.
Title 16-914 makes it very clear that all custody decisions made by the court will be done based on what is best for the child.
Parents should also use this standard as they make the parenting plan.
When determining what is best for the child, the court will consider: the wishes of the child and the parents; the interaction and interrelationship between the child and the parents, the child and other siblings, and the child and other significant family members; the willingness of the parents to share custody; the prior involvement of each parent with the child; the potential disruption of the child's school and social life; the geographic proximity of the parents; the demands of parental employment; the age and number of children; the sincerity of each parent's request; the parent's ability to financially support a joint custody arrangement; and the benefit to the parents.
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