What does “Parental Rights and Responsibilities” mean?
In cases involving children, courts must allocate parental rights and responsibilities to ensure the safety, care, and financial support of the children. Those rights and responsibilities include visitation, child support, provision of health insurance, and decision-making authority.
How does a court decide the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities?
The courts weigh many factors and make a decision based on the best interests of the child(ren). Those factors include the wishes of the parents, the child’s wishes, the child’s interaction with family, the child’s adjustment to home and school and community, mental and physical health of the parties, abuse or neglect of a child, whether parents have abided by court orders, and residence.