What legal rights does a child have when facing separation or divorce?

A child facing separation or divorce in Virginia has many legal rights, all of which are designed to protect the best interests of the child. One of those rights is to have a court-appointed legal guardian ad litem, or “GAL,” who can represent the child’s best interests in court. The GAL is a lawyer appointed by the court to investigate the facts of the case and make recommendations to the court. Additionally, the court can grant a child visitation rights or custody. Visitation rights allow the non-custodial parent to visit regularly with the child, while custody determines which parent the court believes is more capable of providing a safe and stable home for the child. In most cases, a judge will also order the parents to pay the child’s medical bills, as well as child support, which is an amount paid by the non-custodial parent to the custodial parent to help cover the cost of raising the child. Finally, the court will also divide any marital assets, which can include money, investments, and real estate. All of these rights are in place to protect the child’s best interests and ensure that they have the resources they need to continue to grow and thrive.

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What legal rights does a child have when facing separation or divorce?

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