Wyoming Divorce Laws – Child Custody

by Michael Thomas

Be sure to view these other Wyoming divorce pages:


Chances are you and your not so loving spouse have discussed who gets the kids, and maybe even discussed (argued about?) sole custody. As in the case of child support, Wyoming child custody gets determined with “the best interests of the child” considered first.

So who gets Wyoming child custody and who gets visitation? You and your divorcing spouse have an opportunity to agree to a Parenting Plan, Child Custody Agreement and a Child Visitation Schedule. If you are unable to complete them, the family court has a special plan just waiting for you. Do your best to get it done yourselves. In Wyoming the courts will make orders or decrees that they believe will be in the best interest of the offspring. In order to make an informed decision, courts will determine the answers to a fixed set of questions in order to accomplish this. Additionally courts may go beyond the scope of these queries if it feels it necessary to do so. Some of what an Wyoming court will consider when determining child custody are:

  • The quality of the relationship each child has with each parent;
  • The ability of each parent to provide adequate care for each child throughout each period of responsibility, including arranging for each child’s care by others as needed;
  • The relative competency and fitness of each parent;
  • Each parent’s willingness to accept all responsibilities of parenting, including a willingness to accept care for each child at specified times and to relinquish care to the other parent at specified times;
  • How the parents and each child can best maintain and strengthen a relationship with each other;
  • How the parents and each child interact and communicate with each other and how such interaction and communication may be improved;
  • The ability and willingness of each parent to allow the other to provide care without intrusion, respect the other parent’s rights and responsibilities, including the right to privacy;
  • Geographic distance between the parents’ residences;
  • The current physical and mental ability of each parent to care for each child;
  • Any other factors the court deems necessary and relevant.

Wyoming divorce laws state that one parent will not be favored over the other when awarding child custody. The reality is that mothers get awarded custody at least three-quarters of the time.

If there have been any documented instances of spousal abuse or child abuse, Wyoming courts will consider evidence resented when determining custody of the children. If the court finds that abuse has occurred, it is expected to make rulings that protect the children ‘in their best interest’. The child custody order is presumed to not only promote understanding and compliance by the parents but to ensure that the best interests of the children are met. Custody can be awarded in any combination of joint, shared or sole custody. Unless findings by the court demand other provisions, the non custodial parent will have the same right of access as the parent awarded custody to any records relating to the child. These records may include school records, activities, teachers’ conferences as well as medical and dental treatment providers and mental health records.

The Wyoming court has the latitude, at any time, to require the parents to attend appropriate parenting classes, including but not limited to, parenting classes to lessen the effects of divorce on children.

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Tagged as: child, custody, wyoming

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