When parents of minor children divorce, one of the most critical decisions for the court to consider is the legal and/or physical custody of those children. Factors the courts examine to resolve the question of custody include the health, financial state, and lifestyle of the parents, the stability of the home environment, any history of domestic violence or abuse, and the relationships between the children and their parents and siblings. The decision is then based on the principle of “the best interest of the child.”
Custody and visitation arrangements for the most part are intended to be in place until the child reaches the age of majority, which in New Jersey is 18. At that point it is expected that the child can make his or her own decision on where to live. There are circumstances, however, when the courts can intervene and change the terms of the custody agreement before the child reaches 18. To learn what can cause a judge to change a custody agreement read, “5 Reasons a Judge Will Change Custody.”
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