In the state of Connecticut, parents are generally allowed to have relationships with their children after a divorce. In some cases, they will be granted legal custody of their sons or daughters while being denied physical custody. Let’s take a closer look at what that means and how it may influence how you interact with both your child and former spouse.
What is legal custody?
If you have legal custody of your child, it means that you are allowed to make decisions on his or her behalf. For instance, you may be allowed to decide what religious beliefs he or she will learn or what types of medical treatments that your son or daughter will receive. You will also likely have input into what type of educational experience your child has. Depending on your child’s needs, it may be worthwhile to consider homeschooling your son or daughter or transferring your child to a private school.
How will this impact your relationship with your child and former spouse?
It’s possible that you will have sole legal custody of your child. This would mean that you have the ability to make decisions on a unilateral basis. However, it’s more likely that you would have shared legal custody, which means that you would need to work with your former spouse to decide what is best for your child. Depending on how old your son or daughter is, your child may also be allowed to have input during the process of making these decisions.
What happens if you don’t have physical custody rights?
If you don’t have physical custody of your child, a family law judge may grant you visitation rights. This means that you’ll likely be able to see, talk to or otherwise interact with your offspring.
You are an important part of your child’s life even after a divorce. Therefore, it’s likely that you will be granted legal or physical custody rights to your son or daughter. It also means that you’ll need to maintain a civil relationship with your former spouse for your child’s sake.