Divorce can lead to substantial changes in Pennsylvania residents’ lives. One change that many parents are concerned about relates to the amount of time they will be able to spend with their children. In some cases, child custody proceedings can end with one parent being denied custody, and that change can be difficult to live with.
Denial of custody can take place for various reasons, but it does not necessarily mean that a parent is not fit to care for the children. The court could determine that the other parent has been more of a primary caregiver to the children, and therefore, he or she seems better suited to act as the custodial parent. The court could also simply decide that having the children move back and forth from house to house regularly could cause too much strain in a particular situation.
Still, being a noncustodial parent does not mean never seeing the children. Many parents are still entitled to liberal parenting time with the kids. Some children may spend every weekend or every other weekend with the noncustodial parent, and others may see the noncustodial parent on holidays or even days during the week. Because each situation is different, the arrangements involved will also differ.
Being denied child custody can take a serious toll on parents who want the best for their kids. If Pennsylvania parents believe that their custody outcomes were unfair or that enough time has passed to cause the custody arrangement to no longer work, they may want to consider seeking a modification to their terms. Changing custody terms is not easy, and interested parties may want to discuss their options with family law attorneys before moving forward.