On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Thursday, January 5, 2017.
Illinois residents may be interested to hear that Sarah Palin’s 27-year-old son Track may be back in court soon. The former vice presidential candidate’s son has a newborn child with his ex-girlfriend, and the mother has filed for custody of the child in a court in Alaska. Palin has previously been involved in another child custody dispute, this one with his former wife over their daughter.
In January 2016, Palin was arrested following a domestic dispute involving his ex-girlfriend. He was charged with domestic violence assault, interfering with a domestic violence police call, and possession of a weapon while intoxicated. The first two charges were later dismissed. He pleaded guilty to the third charge and agreed to take part in a therapy program. After the arrest, his ex-wife successfully changed their custody agreement, limiting the time he is allowed to spend with his now 4-year-old daughter.
Courts generally agree that its in the best interest of the child to be raised by both parents. In many cases, a judge will award the parents joint custody. This means that both parents have a legal right to make decisions about their child’s upbringing. A parent might also have sole physical custody of a child but joint legal custody. This means that the child will live with that parent and visit the other parent.
Under certain circumstances, a parent might be awarded sole legal and physical custody. A court may decide sole custody is in the best interest of the child if the other party is judged to be an unfit parent. A person with a history of violent behavior, child neglect, or drug use may be considered unfit. A family lawyer can help a parent seeking custody to decide what type of legal rights the other parent should have when it comes to being involved in their child’s life.
