Even just throughout each of the states in the US, child custody laws vary quite a bit. In fact most of us think about child custody only when someone we know is filing for a divorce, however the child custody laws of most states can also affect any children born out of wedlock.
Child custody laws differing from state to state as they do, are not relevant only to who gets custody of any children within a disintegrating relationship, but also the relevant child support laws and laws relating to parental rights.
Most of us realise that divorce can be a messy and painful process and that it can hurt your children not only in the short term but also that it can have detrimental long term effects on their development. For the childrens’ sake it is usually better if the divorcing or separating adults can sit down and sort something out in a way that doesn’t affect their children too much. However, as we all know, this isn’t always going to be possible.
If you are considering divorce or maybe applying for custody of children born out of wedlock it is always a good idea to do some research on the child custody laws that are applicable in your area. If your spouse or ex-partner now resides in a different state may also be wise to research the child custody laws in that area as well. That way, if, after reading and understanding the law, you are not actually entitled to apply for custody of your children you can at least save them from some of the hurt and unpleasantness.
If once you have researched the child custody laws in your state and you decide to apply for custody, then you may choose to hire a lawyer who specializes in child custody cases to support your application. Information on child custody laws can be found from many sources, on the internet as well as in the various books that have been written on the subject.
Unfortunately there is another side to child custody laws which is more rare, and that is where rather than both parents wanting custody of the child or children, neither of them do. Perhaps neither parent is in a suitable situation, financial or otherwise to provide care for the child.
Whatever the reason that might lead to such a situation, most states have child custody laws which enable both parents to give up their parental rights to the child and then put the child up for adoption. These laws actually cover both involuntary as well as voluntary termination of parental rights and it may be wise to engage in counselling of some sort before finally giving up your parental rights to help you to be certain that you are making the right decision.