Custody

The judge will look at many factors to decide what is in the best interest of your child. Some of those factors include:

• the child’s age, health, and sex;
• which parent had continuing care of the child before the parents separated;
• which parent has the best parenting skills;
• which parent has the willingness and capacity to care for the child;
• both parents’ work responsibilities;
• the parents’ physical and mental health;
• the parents’ ages;
• emotional ties of the parent and child;
• the parents’ moral fitness;
• the child’s home, school and community record;
• the child’s wishes if the child is old enough to express a preference;
• stability of the home environment and of each parent’s employment; and
• any other relevant factors.¹

¹ Albright v. Albright, 437 So. 2d 1003 (Miss. 1983)