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| Best Interests of the Child |
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by: UW College of Law
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| Q. | What does "best interests of the child" mean? |
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| A. |
It is hard to define "best interests of the child." It depends on the family and the child or children. A judge will try to find out who is best able to take care of a child. The judge will look at a number of things about the child's life and the way certain people, usually parents, care for the child.
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| Links: | Focusing on the Best Interest of the Child |
| | Best Interests of the Child Law and Legal Definition |
| | Wyoming Custody and Visitation Law |
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| Q. | How do I know what the courts will say about me? |
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| A. | You can't know for sure what a judge will say about you. Wyoming law talks about the things a judge will look at in deciding. If you want to read this law, click here, then scroll to and click on Wyoming Statutes, then scroll to WS 20-2-201. |
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| Q. | What is in the best interests of the child? |
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| A. | Under the law, a child deserves to be with adults that can take good care of the child.
These things make you able to care for a child:
- being healthy in body and mind.
- being able to meet the child's needs for food, shelter, medical care and safety.
- if you have visitation you only have to be able to meet the child's needs during the time you are with the child.
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| Q. | Is there anything else I should know? |
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| A. | The law also looks at how well you get along with the other adults in the child's life.
The law expects that you will:
- cooperate with the other adults in the child's life.
- help the child to have strong, loving relationships with other adults in the family, and
- respect the privacy of these other adults.
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| Q. |
Does the court always award custody to the mother?
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| A. | No. Custody can be awarded to either
- the mother
- the father
- both the mother and the father
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Last Reviewed On: 12/14/10 |
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