Child Custody Attorney in San Diego County

Guiding Parents Through Difficult Custody Decisions

Child custody decisions shape your child’s daily life, education, and relationships. If you are facing a custody dispute in San Diego County, you may feel anxious about what comes next and how choices made now will affect your family for years. You do not have to navigate that process alone.

At Moore, Schulman & Moore, APC, we help parents address custody, parenting time, and related family law issues with a steady, informed approach. Our firm is led by three founding partners who are recognized by the California Board of Legal Specialization in family law, and our attorneys bring together more than 200 years of collective experience in divorce and family matters.

Parents come to us when they need thoughtful strategy, clear explanations, and advocacy that keeps children at the center of every decision. We strive to balance legal strength with practical solutions so you can move forward with greater confidence. 

To discuss your situation, you can contact our child custody attorney in San Diego County any time at (858) 492-7968.

Why Parents Choose Our Firm

When you look for a child custody lawyer in San Diego County, you are not just picking a name from a list. You are choosing who will stand beside you while decisions are made about your children’s lives. Our firm is built around that responsibility.

Our founding partners, Peggy L. Moore, David S. Schulman, and Erik S. Moore, have earned recognition from the California Board of Legal Specialization in family law. This credential reflects substantial concentration in family law and rigorous evaluation. Combined with more than 200 years of family law experience across our team, this gives our clients the benefit of a broad perspective and deep knowledge when custody issues arise.

Several of our attorneys hold Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent ratings, and our lawyers have been included on the Southern California Super Lawyers list. These peer-reviewed distinctions reflect both legal ability and ethical standards.

We focus exclusively on divorce and family law. Every day, we work with clients dealing with custody disputes, parenting schedules, child support, and domestic violence issues that affect parenting arrangements. Because our work centers on families, we understand the emotional and financial pressure these cases create, and we aim to provide tailored counsel that respects your budget and your goals.

How Child Custody Works In California

Understanding the basic legal framework can make a custody dispute feel more manageable. In California, custody is usually divided into two parts. Legal custody addresses who makes major decisions about schooling, health care, and similar issues. Physical custody focuses on where the child lives and how parenting time is shared.

Many families end up with a parenting plan that outlines regular schedules, holidays, vacations, and communication guidelines. Some plans provide for roughly equal time with both parents. Others designate one primary residence with a scheduled time for the other parent. A custody attorney can help you evaluate options that may work for your family’s specific needs.

Courts in California base custody and visitation decisions on what is in the child’s best interests. The law does not favor one parent solely because of gender or income. Instead, judges consider practical and child-focused factors.

Courts commonly weigh factors such as:

• Each parent’s history of involvement in day-to-day care, school, and activities
• The child’s health, safety, and emotional well-being
• Any history of abuse, neglect, or substance misuse
• The quality and stability of each home environment
• The ability of each parent to support the child’s relationship with the other parent, when appropriate
• The child’s wishes, when the child is mature enough to express a reasoned preference

Additional issues can also affect custody, such as domestic violence, untreated mental health conditions, or a parent’s plan to relocate. Our attorneys take time to understand your family’s history and current situation so we can explain how these factors may apply to your case.

The Custody Process In San Diego County

While every family is different, most custody cases in this area move through several common stages. In San Diego County, custody and visitation matters are typically handled in the family law division of the San Diego Superior Court. Parents may raise custody as part of a divorce, parentage action, or a request to change an existing order.

The process often begins with one parent filing paperwork that asks the court to make or modify custody and parenting time orders. The other parent has an opportunity to respond. In many situations, the court directs parents to attend mediation through the court’s family court services before a judge decides contested issues. Mediation gives parents a chance to work with a neutral professional to see if they can agree on a parenting plan.

If you work with a child custody attorney San Diego County parents frequently choose for guidance, that attorney can help you prepare for mediation by organizing information about your child’s needs and your current caregiving role. While we cannot control mediation outcomes, we can help you understand what to expect and how to present your proposals in a way that focuses on your child’s best interests.

When parents reach an agreement, the court can review and, if appropriate, adopt their parenting plan as an order. If disagreements remain, a judge may hold a hearing where each side presents evidence, such as testimony, documents, or reports prepared according to court rules. The court then issues orders that govern custody and visitation.

Timelines vary based on court calendars, how much parents disagree, and whether additional evaluations are needed. Throughout this process, our goal is to provide clear explanations, realistic expectations, and support for informed decisions. We work to resolve disputes efficiently while taking care to protect your relationship with your child.