For Greensboro residents who have recently left a relationship in which they had children, the issue of child custody may be especially painful. While family law courts try their best to make a decision it considers to be in the best interests of the child or children, the fact is that many parents may feel that they have been treated unfairly. This was certainly true in a case in South Carolina that has now spurred an attempt to change the state's law.

A Fort Mill father was awarded joint legal custody, with the mother, of their son. However, joint legal custody does not necessarily mean joint physical custody. In his case, the court only granted him physical custody of his son every other weekend, essentially four days a month.

At the man's urging, a bill has been introduced in the South Carolina legislature--with the support of the governor--that would allow both parents to be entitled to equal time with the child unless one parent can prove it isn't in the child's best interest. Unfortunately, while some believe the idea behind the bill is great, it may also be true that equal access is not always possible. Equal access in some instances could mean that the child would be constantly juggled between two different lives with no firm foothold in either of them.

In North Carolina, there are many laws designed to protect the rights of not only the parents but of the child as well. In making decisions regarding child custody, a family law judge will typically take into account a number of factors ranging from the financial situation of the parents to the wishes of the child. In order to tip the factors the court considers toward one's favor, Greensboro residents may well benefit from the services of an experienced family law attorney.

Source: Fox Charlotte, "Local Father Trying To Shake Up Custody Laws To Get Equal Time," Reneé Lasalle, Dec. 18, 2011