Queens Parental Rights Attorneys
Fighting for Your Rights
As a parent, we understand why it’s important for you to be able to make important decisions for your child, especially when they’re young. The early years of a person’s life are extremely formative, and can define the future of their relationships with their parents. According to law, parents have certain rights in regards to their children, including the right to spend quality time with them, even if they’re not the parent granted custody, as well as the right to make important decisions about them and their care.
Our parental rights attorneys in Queens want to defend the legal rights of parents. Principal attorney Natalie Markfeld and our team at Levi Divorce & Family Law Attorneys are proud to serve New York City families. We have years of demonstrated experience in fighting for custody rights, be it physical or legal.
Contact our team online, or call (718) 215-0121 to schedule an appointment today. We offer payment plans for your financial situation.
Physical vs. Legal Custody
Child custody doesn’t just concern the physical caretaking of a child. It’s important to understand that there are two different kinds of custody when dealing with your rights as a parent. Physical custody is the time you physically spend with your child. As the parent with physical custody, you’re in charge of making day-to-day decisions.
Legal custody, however, refers to your right to make important decisions for your child, including those involving:
- Healthcare
- Religion
- Education
While one parent might be granted full physical custody, both parents share legal custody of their children.
Mothers’ Rights
While in the past, courts have favored the mother when it comes to granting custody, as of today, mothers’ rights and fathers’ rights are viewed as equal under the court system. Still, as a mother, in certain cases you may have rights that fathers don’t. For instance, if you’re unmarried, you automatically have sole custody of your child upon their birth. Additionally, if you’re married but are still nursing your child, you have good cause for why you deserve physical custody.
If you’re a mother and either want physical custody of your child, or wish to enforce joint legal custody, our team can be your advocates. We believe mothers have the right to represent their child’s best interest, especially in their formative years.
Fathers’ Rights
A common stereotype in custody battles is that the mothers typically win custody of their child, but in modern times, this simply isn’t true. Under law, fathers are considered equal to mothers and thus have equal opportunity to claim custody and visitation. As a father, you should not be daunted by stereotypes—you have just as much right as your child’s mother to be present in their lives and make decisions for them.
Our attorneys can help you enforce your legal rights as a father, whether you wish to seek physical custody or enforce joint or sole legal custody. If the mother of your child has physical custody, there’s no need to worry. We can help ensure that you receive adequate quality time with your child because, as their father, you’re meant to be in their life forever.
As parental rights attorneys in Queens, we help fathers with the following:
- Establish legal rights to see their children
- Modify orders of support and custody
- Ensure legal rights to make important decisions for their children
- Establish paternity in cases where they’re not married to the child’s mother
Even if you’re unmarried to your child’s mother, you still have parental rights. We have years of experience in establishing paternity so fathers can claim joint responsibility of their child. Don’t wait to establish a strong presence in your child’s life.
Call (718) 215-0121 if you have questions regarding your legal rights as a parent. We can help you understand the system.
