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(510) 351-5345
2777 Alvarado Street, Suite E
San Leandro, CA 94577
2777 Alvarado Street, Suite E
San Leandro, CA 94577
A divorce is a difficult time for everyone involved, especially the children. You’d do anything to ensure your children are well taken care of, and you want to make sure the child custody arrangement suits their best interests.
That’s why it’s important to work with a qualified attorney with experience in family law who will be able to guide you and your family through the process and arrive at a resolution with your best interests in mind. You leave much less to chance when you work with the best.
In a contested divorce, the two involved parties are at odds. They might disagree regarding the division of property and assets, alimony, child custody, and visitation. When they are unable to agree prior to divorce proceedings, it becomes the job of professionals to help guide the couple toward resolution or bring the matter to court for a resolution.
A child custody lawyer is a family law specialist who assists clients going through a contested divorce to help them secure their ideal child custody arrangement. They are there during mediation to make sure your best interests are represented. They are with you in court during divorce proceedings.
A child custody lawyer has experience in the process of getting a divorce and has seen many cases unfold, which gives them a unique and invaluable perspective on what your best options are at any given time.
The role of your child custody lawyer is threefold.
First, they are a legal professional working to secure your best outcome. During mediation, they advocate for your best interests and make a case to guarantee you get the results you are looking for. If the divorce goes to court, the attorney is there to represent you and make sure things go according to plan.
Second, they are an objective opinion. Many individuals going through a divorce have difficulty determining what the best option is because they’re too hurt, too angry, or too overwhelmed to see the big picture. A quality child custody lawyer will be there by your side to advise when your thoughts or actions might be at odds with your own best interests.
Third, their experience and knowledge help provide a strategy and framework for everything that is to come. When your lawyer sees an opportunity, they communicate the implications of the situation and advise accordingly. Likewise, when they recognize that you will likely need to compromise, they make that known before the deal is off the table, making sure you don’t wind up worse off at the end.
Ideally, an agreement is reached before or during mediation, so the issue is not brought before a judge. If the parents of the children are unable to reach an agreement, the judge will make a final determination based on several factors.
It’s best for the parents to decide without going to court but having a lawyer by your side in the courtroom is essential for success.
A child custody lawyer or attorney is very valuable during divorce proceedings. Even in an uncontested divorce where both involved parties are calm, rational, reasonable, and, most importantly, in agreement about the terms of the divorce, it’s still prudent to have legal representation available to review everything and make sure that what you decide becomes the official result of the divorce.
Beyond the cost of acquiring a lawyer, there is no downside to having one by your side during a divorce.
Often, the parent or parents with physical custody of the children also hold legal custody as well. However, these are two different things.
Whereas physical custody refers to the physical place the children live, legal custody refers to a parent’s ability to make decisions regarding their health, education, religious practices, and more.
If you need a child custody lawyer in the greater East Bay Area, including San Leandro, Oakland, Hayward, Union City, & Fremont, contact Vonnah Bagner at Bagner Law, PC today by calling (510) 351-5341.
Bagner Law, PC opened in 2003 as Law Offices of Vonnah M. Bagner with offices in San Francisco and San Leandro, CA. In 2005, the entire practice was moved to San Leandro. 
2777 Alvarado Street, Suite E
San Leandro, CA 94577
Monday-Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm (PST)
Friday 8:30am - 2:00pm
Weekends and After-Hours by Appointment
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