Represented Mother in Custody Trial
Nov 18, 2022OUTCOME: Custody Determination in Favor of Mother
Mr. Campbell represented Mother in a day-long child custody hearing. Mother and Father were never married, but shared custody of their minor child who has special needs. Mother and Father began having ... disputes regarding important life choices for the child, including medical decisions, where the child should attend school, and where the child should reside. Mother petitioned the court for full custody of the child. At trial, Mr. Campbell was able to successfully prove that Mother had been operating as the primary custodian of the child. He also proved that it was in the best interest of the child to maintain the status quo as to (1) where the child resided and (2) the unwritten operative visitation agreement. Throughout the course of the day, Mr. Campbell introduced evidence which showed that Father was not being reasonable in considering the best interests of the child when disagreeing on major life decisions. While noting Father still wanted to play a role in the decision-making process, Mr. Campbell successfully argued to the court that joint legal custody, with tie-breaking authority for any disagreement being at Mother’s discretion, was ultimately in the best interest of the child. The court further ruled in favor of Mother in awarding her primary physical custody.
