Carolyn Goodman

Attorney At Law

4 Things You Need to Know About Joint Custody in Washington, DC

By Carolyn Goodman

What Does Joint Custody Mean in Washington, DC?

Even though there is a presumption of joint custody in Washington, DC this does not mean that joint custody is automatic.

1. There are two types of joint custody: joint physical custody and joint legal custody.

  • Physical Custody refers to which parent the children are with and which home the children will be sleeping in at night.
  • Legal Custody refers to decision-making about major issues in your child’s life, such as, education; non-emergency medical decisions; vaccinations; mental health choices; right to relocate; and religion.

There is no guarantee that the division of time will be 50-50 between you and the other parent.

2. Your child’s best interests are the primary considerations in determining whether there should be joint custody in DC.

There are many factors that are considered in determining what is in the best interests of a child for both physical and legal custody.

A few of the factors that are considered are:

Read More

Developing a Parenting Plan for Child Custody in DC

By Carolyn Goodman

Navigating Child Custody in a DC Divorce

When you are thinking about separating from your spouse or have already separated and you have children, your main concern is usually how to best navigate the situation with the least impact on the children.

What is a Parenting Plan?

A Parenting Plan is a written Agreement that spells out the time-sharing schedule for your children; how decisions will be made about issues affecting the children; how disputes between parents will be resolved; and defines the responsibilities of each parent as you move forward to co-parent your children.

Negotiating a custody and parenting plan so that you and your spouse can co-parent your children in an amicable way is best for the children.

Remember that the needs of you and your spouse may take a backseat to the needs of your children.

Read More

Child Custody and Parenting Plans in DC Separation and Divorce

By Carolyn Goodman

How do You Decide Custody & Parenting Plans in DC?

Photo of Child Custody and Parenting Plans in DC Separation and Divorce

When you decide to separate, and there are children involved, it is best to have an agreement for a temporary schedule for custody and parenting plans in DC. It is best to have a plan in place before each parent has a separate residence so you each know when you will see your children and when you are solely responsible for their care. This is in everyone’s best interest, especially for your children to know where they will be each day. This is important even for very young children.

Read More

Divorce and Separation Agreements

By Carolyn Goodman

The Purpose of a Separation Agreement in DC

When you and your spouse make the decision to separate and/or divorce in DC, if you have children, their welfare is one of your major concerns.

If you choose to resolve things amicably, hopefully, this will lead to a negotiated DC Separation Agreement. You can tailor specific provisions in your Agreement to determine custody and separate access schedules so that both you and your spouse will have regular access/visitation time with your children.

Moving forward and getting beyond the difficulties and resentments between you and your spouse so you can focus on the best interests of your children can be very emotionally challenging.

Read More

Physical Custody and Legal Custody in DC Divorce

By Carolyn Goodman

Parenting Plan Calendar for Physical Custody and Legal Custody in DC Divorce

There are many ways to determine who will have custody of your children when going through a separation or divorce in DC.

There is a distinction between physical custody and legal custody in DC Divorce.

  • Physical custody in DC refers to the living arrangements for your child, i.e. where your child eats and sleeps.
  • Legal custody in DC refers to the legal responsibility for your child, i.e. the decision-making related to your child’s health and medical treatment, education, and general welfare.

You and your spouse can negotiate any type of custody arrangement as long as your child’s best interests are served.  It is best if both you and your spouse have continuing contact with your child.

Read More

Taxes & Custody in DC: What You Need to Know

By Carolyn Goodman

How Does Custody in DC Impact the Dependency Exemption for Your Children?

It is common, particularly around tax time, to wonder who is entitled to claim the dependency exemption for your children on your income tax return.

Usually, your DC Separation Agreement or divorce decree will specify which parent is allowed to claim the deduction.

Sometimes a Separation Agreement may say that only one parent is able to claim it. Some people agree to alternate years. You can also agree to change your DC custody agreement depending on who gets the most benefit from the deduction.

But, you both must agree to change custody in DC.

Read More

Questions And Answers

Your current situation has probably generated many questions. Here are some short answers to questions you may have about Divorce, Separation Agreements, Property Division, Child Custody and more.

Recent Blog Posts