South Dakota has been working on potential changes to its existing child custody laws for over a year now, and the latest effort to do so has taken a positive step recently in that a new version of a revised child custody law has made it through committee in the legislature.  This bill, if it becomes law, would ultimately allow for more discretion for judges in terms of deciding joint physical and joint legal custody.

Specifically, a bill that did not pass last year would have provided for a presumption of 50-50 custody for children of a divorce if that issue was contested.  However, there were few alternatives available to judges who did not feel that such a custody arrangement was appropriate in certain situations.  Therefore, a new bill that does not lay out the 50-50 split explicitly has been making its way through the legislature.

If this bill becomes a law, judges could basically decide how much time each parent got with the child or children of a marriage, and a judge could also award joint legal and joint physical custody at the same time.  While some people are speaking out against this new law as one that gives too much power and discretion to judges, supporters of the bill are excited at the possibility of child custody issues being decided without the traditional presumptions in place around the country.

San Diego Child Custody Lawyers

Whether new laws are passing in different places or not, one thing that is occurring around the United States is that more and more fathers are winning custody battles when these issues are contested.  There are likely many reasons for this reality, but the bottom line is that any father who faces a child custody battles needs to take immediate steps to make sure that his or her legal rights are protected.

If you are facing a fight over child custody, you need to seek the help of San Diego child custody lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of fathers for many years.  Contact the Men’s Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.