Reading Lawyer Protecting Your Parental Rights
Last updated on November 14, 2025
Even if you are no longer together as spouses or partners, you will always be co-parents. Yet sharing those responsibilities is easier said than done. You may have competing ideas about how to raise your child, or you may be fighting for your right to maintain a central role in your child’s life.
At Ohlson & Ohlson, Attorneys at Law, you have an advocate and a resource for resolving child custody matters. As your Reading child custody attorney, Tina Ohlson brings 20 years of experience to your case, including custody litigation. We practice in the probate and family courts of Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex counties.
Understanding Child Custody
In general, the Massachusetts courts start with a presumption of some form of shared custody. This typically means joint decision-making responsibilities (legal custody) even if the child lives primarily with one parent (physical custody). Sole custody is rarely granted unless the other parent is deemed unfit because of abuse, addiction or mental health issues.
Parenting time can range from 50-50 with each parent to a more traditional “visitation” every other weekend. As an experienced Reading child custody attorney, Tina Ohlson talks to clients about what they want and what the kids would want. Cutting the other parent out of the picture is not in the best interests of the child, whatever your personal feelings. In a contested custody case, the court will look at which parent is more likely to foster a healthy bond with the other parent and good communication.
Ms. Ohlson will help you negotiate the details of a parenting plan (custody, parenting time and schedules) to be presented to the court. However, if you cannot reach an agreement or the other parent is undermining your parental rights, she is a veteran trial lawyer who can vigorously advance your case in a custody trial.
Complete Child Custody Legal Services
In addition to the initial determination of custody in divorce cases, our Reading child custody attorney at Ohlson & Ohlson, Attorneys at Law handles the full range of child-related matters. These include:
- Modification of custody or child support
- Relocating the children out of Massachusetts
- Complaints for contempt (not paying child support or not allowing visitation)
- Paternity actions for child support or custody rights
- Grandparents’ rights to visitation
- Stepparent adoption and termination of parental rights
Tina Ohlson also handles care and protection (C&P) cases in which the Department of Children and Families has removed a child from the home due to abuse, neglect or criminal activity. She represents parents who are seeking to regain custody, helping them take the right steps to convince the DCF that they can provide a safe and stable environment.
Your Children Are Everything
Custody disputes are emotionally charged, but you need a strategy and a realistic approach. Arrange a free initial consultation with your Reading child custody attorney to discuss your situation, your rights and your options. Call our office in Reading at 781-214-7398 or use the online form. We practice in the family courts at Woburn, Salem, Boston and Lowell.