Solutions and Legal Advocacy in Custody Disputes
It is only natural to become emotionally entangled in the custody and visitation of your children. Nobody really wins in a custody battle, least of all the children. How do you stand up for your children while sparing them further trauma?
My name is Charles Messina, a solo family law attorney who can give your custody dispute my undivided attention. My goal is to guide clients to creative, practical, give-and-take agreements for the dilemmas of divorce and parenting:
— I counsel parents in out-of-court negotiations and in contested court proceedings for initial determination of child custody and visitation.
— I also handle post-divorce modifications and enforcement of custody orders, including parent relocation and other high-conflict cases.
I represent mothers and fathers in the Greater Buffalo area, in Erie, Niagara and Chautauqua counties and in neighboring jurisdictions of Western New York. Contact me today for a free and confidential phone consultation.
Buffalo Child Custody Lawyer: Perspective and Reality
Custody is not about who is a better parent. In many cases, it's about who is a better co-parent — are you likely to cooperate and communicate and foster a healthy relationship between your child and your ex, or does the judge think you will undermine the other parent at every opportunity?
A full-fledged fight over physical custody is rare, but it is common to end up in court over parenting time (visitation) and legal custody (decision-making). I remind parents who are inclined to litigate that long after you go your separate ways, there will still be graduations, college, weddings and calls in the middle of the night. You will deal with the ex-spouse for the rest of your life, and how you handle this custody dispute will set the tone for the future.
Hashing out the details is hard, but a parenting agreement that you create is far preferable to having a judge dictate when and where you can see your kids.
Erie County Visitation Rights Lawyer: Parenting Solutions
I can help you through all aspects of your disputes involving children:
- Traditional physical custody and visitation
- Shared custody
- Sole custody
- Joint legal custody
- Parenting schedules (pick-up, drop-off, extracurriculars)
- Summer vacation, holidays, family gatherings
- Child support
What many would consider a standard visitation model (every other weekend, one overnight per week) doesn't work for all families. I help clients craft individualized, practical parenting plans that are specific enough to avoid conflicts but flexible enough to adapt to realities of life. The only limitations are your creativity, the best interests of the child and what the other parent will agree to.
I aim for an amicable settlement first, but I can advocate for you in court when a more heavy-handed approach is required. Call my Hamburg office at 716-634-7777 to schedule a consultation, including after hours by appointment. I accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover.
