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When parents in New Jersey are faced with a divorce, they will also have to address the deeply emotional matter of child custody. Often, both parents want to be awarded custody of the child and most of the time, they are able to share custody. There are two types of physical custody that may be awarded in a divorce.

Joint Custody

Courts will typically award parents joint custody. This means that they will both have the opportunity to have physical custody of the child or children. However, one parent typically spends more time parenting the children than the other. The parent that cares for the children for at least 50 percent of the children’s time is referred to as the custodial parent. In some cases, though not all, parents can split physical custody evenly.

Sole Custody

The court will take a lot of factors into consideration when making a decision based on custody. Sometimes, the factors that are assessed lead the court to believe that one parent should have sole custody because the other parent may pose a danger to the child. The court will always act in the best interest of the child and although they believe that the child should have a meaningful relationship with both parents, sole custody is sometimes the safest bet.

If you have questions about custody in New Jersey, contact our firm today.

If you require strong legal representation for matters of divorce and family law, contact The Law Offices of Paone, Zaleski & Murphy to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced attorneys today.