The Role of the “Community” in Atlanta Child Custody Cases

If you take a look at Georgia’s list of “best interest factors” for child custody, you’ll find that it mentions the word “community” multiple times. The concept of community is an important factor family courts  consider in making custody decisions. So what role does your community play in your upcoming custody case? How do family courts define the concept of “community?” These are questions you might want to explore with the help of a family law attorney in Atlanta.

Support Systems, Ties, and Records

Most parents have heard the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child,” and that village is the parent’s community. Family courts in Georgia consider each parent’s ties and support systems within the community, when making a child custody determination. These support systems  are often vital for a child’s growth and stability and might take the form of a helpful neighbor, a local soccer club, a basketball court, or even a community center that offers courses and programs for youth.

A parent might also rely on their local community for childcare, food, and mentorship. The presence of an older, grandmother or grandfather-like figure can make a real difference, even if this individual is not biologically related to the child in question. These are just a few examples of community “support systems” that the family court might consider.

The family court might also consider the “community history” of a child within their local community. Essentially, the court wants to preserve the child’s connections to their community. Most judges do not want to tear a child away from their friend group, local activities, clubs, classes, and so on if the child is doing well. A child might also feel a connection to community events and features even if they are not directly involved and removing them from the community may deprive the child of that important connection. For example, a child may enjoy the Atlanta Hawks and regularly attend their games and feel a loss of stability if removed from the community.

Finally, the family court will consider the “community records” associated with each child in a custody case. These might include records of their involvement in local sports teams, church activities, and so on. Note that in some cases, these records can be concerning rather than positive and support the child’s removal from the community. For example, the records might indicate that the child is connected with a local gang, and the family court might therefore see a move away from the “community” as a positive thing. Therefore, determining whether a parent’s community is a safe, stable, and supportive environment for the child may play a significant role in child custody decisions

Can a Child Custody Attorney in Atlanta Help Me? 

If you want to learn more about the various best interest factors for child custody, consider speaking with an Atlanta family law attorney. Remember, community might be important, but it’s not the only factor judges consider in custody cases. Consider speaking with Kaye, Lembeck, Hitt & French to learn more about the next steps and build a custody strategy.

Source:

 womenslaw.org/laws/ga/statutes/19-9-3-custody-child-best-interest-child-factors-finds-fact-review-retention