A Quick Guide to Guardianship, Custody and Parenting

Do you have questions about guardianship, custody and parenting in Alberta? It may be time to consult with a family lawyer in Edmonton to ensure that your rights are protected, and the interests of your family are looked after. That’s why you shouldn’t hesitate to contact Safi Law Group today if you have any questions regarding guardianship status, custody rights or parenting arrangements.

Keep reading to get the straight facts about guardianship, custody and parenting rights in Alberta.

Guardianship

Being the guardian of a minor in the legal sense means being responsible for the well-being of that child. This covers all aspects of a child’s physical development, physical safety, mental development and emotional development.

A guardian is responsible for providing shelter, food, clothing, medical care and all of the essentials of life. In addition, obtaining guardianship rights means taking on the responsibility of making decisions regarding a child’s medical care, education, extracurricular activities, religious affiliation, language and more.

Child Custody

Child custody simply refers to the arrangement for how the rights and specifics regarding a relationship between a parent and child are broken down. Legal custody generally means which parent gets to make significant decisions for the child and physical custody generally means which parent the child lives with.  A custody arrangement won’t look the same for every family. The custody arrangements that are in place within the Canadian legal system today are sole custody, joint custody, and split custody. Here’s a breakdown of what each scenario might look like:

• Sole custody means that a child lives with one parent who is responsible for making the major day-to-day decisions that impact the life of that child. In addition, the other parent also has access to the child and is often able to make decisions in cooperation with the parent who has sole custody. The second parent in this scenario also has financial responsibilities known as child support.
• Joint custody means that parents cooperate in sharing all parental responsibilities and make all major decisions regarding a child together. However, it does not necessarily mean that a child lives with both parents on an equal basis.  If the parents also have joint physical custody, then that would mean that a child lives with both parents on an equal basis.
• Split custody means that siblings have been separated and each parent has custody of one or more of the children.  Such arrangements are not common as Courts generally consider that separation between siblings is not in their best interests.

Each of these child custody options can be discussed and explored with an experienced child custody lawyer in our Edmonton law office to decide which ones are appropriate and applicable for your specific situation. Factors like safety concerns, practical details, family history and a child’s preferences will all help to determine which approach is the most appropriate.

The input collected from parents, children, psychologists and the Courts are often used to ultimately form an agreement or a Court Order regarding custody.

Parenting

A parenting Order establishes how the child’s time will be divided between parents after separation. It may be necessary to apply for a parenting order if you would like to legally establish how parenting time, responsibilities and decisions regarding your child will be divided.

Discuss Guardianship, Child Custody and Parenting Matters With an Experienced Family Lawyer in Edmonton

Don’t walk into the complicated world of custody arrangements alone.  Our experienced legal staff are here to answer all your questions and help you discover legal options that serve the best interests of your family.

Book your appointment online today or simply call our office at (780) 760-7234 to book your consultation.