In determining child custody and visitation arrangements, the primary consideration is:

Prepare for the LPCC Law and Ethics Test 2. Use flashcards and multiple-choice questions with explanations. Enhance your understanding of ethics and legal standards for effective counseling practice.

The child's best interests guide custody and visitation decisions. This standard centers on promoting the child’s safety, stability, and healthy emotional and developmental growth, including maintaining meaningful and appropriate relationships with both parents when possible, ensuring a stable home and school life, and addressing the child’s particular needs. Parental preferences or income may be considered, but they do not override what will best serve the child’s welfare. Factors like the child’s safety from abuse or neglect, each parent’s ability to meet the child’s needs, and the child’s adjustment to home, school, and community are weighed to determine arrangements that support the child’s overall well-being. The number of siblings might influence considerations insofar as it affects stability and continuity, but it is not the controlling factor.