Custody

Often times, the parents will come to an agreement about child custody.  A judge will review that agreement and, under most circumstances, turn it into a formal court order.  Only a court order can be enforced by the court if one person violates the order.

If the parents cannot come to an agreement, a judge might order the parents into mediation, where a mediator tries to get you and the other parent to come to an agreement.  There are exceptions for domestic violence victims, however.  See What is mediation? for more information.

If the parents still can’t agree after mediation, or if the judge doesn’t order mediation, then the case would go to trial.  In a trial, there would be a hearing (that may last more than one day) where both sides can present evidence and witnesses to support their claim for custody. Then a judge will issue an order stating who gets custody and what the visitation should be. 

As with all custody issues, we recommend that you talk to a lawyer about this.  To find a lawyer or legal aid program in your area, please visit the NV Finding a Lawyer page.