A new proposal being discussed in Olympia could make changes in a Washington law. The changes could come to the child custody laws that govern visitation and custody in our state. The proposal comes after the deaths of a man and his children during a parent-supervised visit last year.
In Washington, parents or guardians in a child custody battle are unable to seek information from agencies such as law enforcement as they attempt to determine the best visitation schedule for children. This means that if a person is suspected in a criminal case such as a murder, but hasn't been charged with a crime, the evidence from the investigation is not available to those in a child custody matter. Now, with a new proposal for legal changes, those in such a situation could find that they have access to information.
As a court in our state seeks to make a decision regarding child custody, they often review details concerning the lives of parents and guardians. This allows a court to work to make what it believes is the best decision for the children involved in a child custody case. Without knowledge of official investigations into criminal allegations, some say that the court's decision could be tainted.
A child custody matter can be difficult for any family facing one in our state. However, many believe that by having information regarding any open criminal investigation at their disposal, they will be better able to decide where a child should live and visitation schedules. When this situation presents itself to people in our state, they may do well to review all applicable laws before entering into a child custody matter.