Child Custody & Visitation

Nothing Is More Important

Beverly Hills Child Custody Lawyers Who Will Fight For You

At Law Offices of Hall & Lim, we understand that the best interests of your children is the uppermost concern. Our child custody attorneys offer aggressive representation in pursuit of your goals, striving for the best outcome with the least impact on your kids.

Free Phone Consultation  (310) 203-8411

Our Beverly Hills family law practice represents divorcing and never-married parents in all custody and visitation matters. We represent men and women across the greater Los Angeles area and invite you to discuss your situation with our lawyers in a relaxed, confidential setting.

About Child Custody

California law addresses two types of child custody:

• Physical custody: The right of a parent to have the child live with him or her
• Legal custody: The right to make decisions about a child's upbringing

There is a presumption that some form of joint custody is in the best interests of the child, lacking evidence that shared custody would be dangerous to the child, such as in cases of abuse. However, shared custody does not necessarily mean a 50/50 split in parenting time and decision-making. One parent could get 90 percent of the physical custody, and the other parent visitation for the remainder.

Aggressive Protection of Your Interests

As your attorneys, we will fight to make the case that you are better suited to be the primary parent, or if this is not possible, we will advocate to maximize your visitation time. In all child custody cases, we build a compelling argument on your behalf based on research of each party's financial positions, home life and family structures, the child's report cards, and other relevant factors.

If custody is disputed, an Order to Show Cause (OSC) hearing is held to determine temporary custody, child support, and spousal support. Our child custody attorneys will prepare you for the court-mandated mediation that precedes the OSC hearing. We believe it is in everyone's best interests to come to an agreement without resorting to custody litigation. However, if you are adamant or the other party unyielding, we will vigorously defend your interests in a custody trial, where a judge will make a final determination.

Child Visitation Rights

The parent who is not awarded physical custody is entitled to visitation, subject to terms set by the court. Our attorneys will work diligently to earn you the greatest amount of visitation time with the least restrictions as possible. There are three types of visitation:

• Reasonable Visitation: Times and places are negotiated by the parents
• Fixed Visitation: The court orders times and places for child visitation
• Supervised Visitation: An adult supervisor must be present during visitation

Grandparent visitation rights can be difficult to secure under California law. The court will consider several factors, including whether you had on-going relationship with the child and if it is in the child's best interests to maintain regular contact. Contact our family law attorney to discuss your options for grandparent visitation rights.

Modifying Child Custody

After divorce, circumstances and the needs of the child may change. We will vigorously press your case in a modification hearing:

• You desire more equal parenting time
• An older child expresses a wish to live with you
• You want sole custody because the other parent's behavior is a danger to your child's well-being (e.g., drug use, abusive boyfriend or girlfriend, dropping school grades)
• You wish to relocate out of California with your child
• You are challenging the custodial parent's relocation petition

For more information about child custody or for prompt intervention for your situation, contact Law Offices of Hall & Lim at (310) 203-8411. We offer a free phone consultation and we accept major credit cards. Our attorneys and staff are fluent in many languages.