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FAMILY LAW – CHILD CUSTODY

Family Law

CHILD CUSTODY MATTERS TO YOU — AND TO YOUR MINNESOTA FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY

Few things in life are as consequential to a family as child custody. A child custody decree will always have a lifelong impact on family dynamics. All parents seem to understand this.

It is important to have legal counsel as soon as possible once a separation or divorce between parents is underway. Heidi Viesturs of Steele Law PLLC is a family law attorney Minneapolis that offers compassionate guidance along with clear communication of what parents can expect through the legal process of asserting parental rights and obtaining a child custody order.

HOW CHILD CUSTODY WORKS IN MINNESOTA

In Minnesota, child custody is divided into two categories — legal custody and physical custody. Custody can be shared jointly or one parent may have sole custody. Understanding what these terms mean is important.

Legal custody means which parent will have the right to make important decisions about a child’s upbringing, including education, religion and health care. Joint legal custody is when parents share legal custody and both parents have input in the upbringing of the children. Sole legal custody means that only one parent has the right to make all legal decisions.

Physical custody determines which parent’s home will be the child’s primary residence. Physical custody can be awarded to one parent (i.e., sole physical custody) or shared (i.e., joint physical custody). The amount of time you have with your children is not determined by your status of joint or sole physical custody; it is rather determined by a concept called “parenting time”.

Parenting time refers to the amount of time the parent is entitled to spend with his or her children. The divorce decree or custody and parenting time order, will set out the parenting and specify when exactly each child will be with the respective parents. Having a a clear and well thought out parenting time schedule is important to avoid conflicts and so both the parents and child know what to expect.

When deciding on parenting time, a judge will evaluate what is in the child’s best interests. Parents, for the most part, keep their child’s best interests in mind and try to work together to come to an agreed upon parenting time schedule. However, agreement cannot be always be reached. If the parties cannot agree, you should have an experienced lawyer to help demonstrate to the court that it is in your child’s best interests if you are awarded custody and liberal parenting time.

OUR MINNETONKA FAMILY LAW FIRM CAN HELP YOU UNDERSTAND AND NAVIGATE ASPECTS OF CHILD CUSTODY MATTERS

Emotional aspects of establishing parenting rights cannot be ignored during the process of parental determination. Separation from one’s child can be psychologically and emotionally debilitating.

A child custody determination also has significant financial implications. Child support is determined, at least in part, by the amount of time a child spends at each parent’s home. A family attorney Minneapolis at Steele Law PLLC can advocate for your rights as a parent, while keeping your child’s best interests clearly in the forefront. It may take some time before the new co-parents find a workable groove with the parents now longer living together. The age of the children will change the practical aspects of child custody. Very young children need plenty of face time with each parent to form a strong parent child bond. If a child is in school the parenting schedule will revolve around school, extracurricular activities and bedtime. A teenager may have an established group of friends in the neighborhood which will be taken into account when determining parenting time for mom and dad. The demands of mom’s and dad’s jobs, the amount of time the parent can dedicate to parenting, and where the parent’s reside all figure into child custody equation.

CHILD-RELATED LEGAL ISSUES REQUIRE GUIDANCE

Steele Law PLLC can guide you in navigating the challenges that accompany child custody determinations. Our attorneys can also help with other child-related issues such as:

  • Paternity actions
  • Adoption
  • Child custody enforcement and modification
  • Child support enforcement and modification

CONTACT A TWIN CITIES FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY FOR CHILD CUSTODY REPRESENTATION IN MINNESOTA

Get the dialogue started with a knowledgeable family law Minneapolis lawyer who can guide you through the challenges of a divorce, a child custody modification or any family law matter. Schedule a consultation by calling our Minneapolis law offices at (612) 605 0722 or submitting an inquiry through this website.

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