Child Custody Lawyers Plymouth

Child Custody Lawyers Plymouth

If you and your children’s other parent are no longer together – whether you are seeking a divorce, are already divorced (and need a child custody modification), or were never married, it’s only natural to have questions and concerns regarding the child custody issues you face. While your child custody case will be unique to you and your situation, the basics regarding child custody apply across all cases. If you have a child custody concern, an experienced child custody lawyer in Plymouth can help.

Child Custody

In Minnesota, child custody divides into two categories that include legal custody and physical custody (including visitation or parenting time). Legal custody relates to who will be making the primary parenting decisions regarding big-picture topics such as the following:

• The children’s schooling
• The children’s medical care and treatment 
• The children’s religious upbringing
• The children’s extracurricular activities

Legal custody can be shared or can be awarded solely to one parent. Physical custody and parenting time relate to how your children will split their time between the two of you, and while physical custody can be awarded solely to one parent, it is rare for the court not to award some form of parenting time to both parents (barring a serious reason for doing so). If you and your children’s other parent are able to come to an agreement regarding your child custody arrangements, the court will almost certainly sign off on them. If you are unable to do so, however, you’ll need the court to make your child custody decisions for you.

The Court’s Determination

The court always bases decisions regarding child custody issues on the best interests of the children involved, and its focus, specifically, is on all of the following:

• A holistic approach to the child’s needs, including his or her physical, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and other needs
• Any special medical, mental health, or educational needs the child might have
• The child’s reasonable preference on the matter (if he or she is old enough and has the maturity and ability to express his or her independent, reliable preference)
• Each parent’s physical and mental health (including any chemical dependency concerns) and how these factors affect the child’s safety and developmental needs
• Each parent’s history and temperament as a caregiver and parent

Ultimately, the court is invested in maximizing both parents’ parenting time and in avoiding strict parenting time limitations to the extent possible. The goal is cooperative parenting, in which both parents openly share information about their children and avoid parenting conflicts. 

Reach out to an Experienced Child Custody Lawyer in Plymouth Today

If you are facing a child custody concern, seeking the professional legal counsel you need from the outset is the best path forward. The compassionate child custody lawyers at Atticus Family Law in Plymouth take great pride in helping clients like you obtain child custody terms that work and are in line with their parental rights. To learn more about how we can help you, please don’t wait to contact us for more information today.