Excelsior Child Custody Lawyers

Excelsior Child Custody Lawyers

If you are a parent who is considering filing for divorce or unmarried and separating from your child’s other parent, a parenting plan will be necessary to determine each parent’s rights and responsibilities in relation to the child or children. In some cases, parents are able to work these agreements out amongst themselves, and the court will merely review and approve the plan, as long as it is in the children’s best interest. However, when parents disagree on how to split parental duties or time with their children, emotions can run high, and compromise can be difficult. In these situations, the Excelsior child custody lawyers at Atticus Family Law can be a vital resource, providing sound legal guidance and smart negotiation tactics, helping you and your family move past this difficult chapter.

Are There Different Types of Child Custody in Minnesota?

In Minnesota, courts recognize two distinct types of child custody. These are:

• Legal Custody: Refers to the right to make significant decisions about the child’s upbringing, including education, healthcare, and religious training. Legal custody can be joint (shared by both parents) or sole (granted to one parent).
• Physical Custody: Involves where the child will live on a day-to-day basis. Like legal custody, physical custody can be joint (the child splits time between both parents) or sole (the child lives primarily with one parent while the other has visitation rights).

At Atticus Family Law, our skilled Excelsior child custody lawyers regularly assist parents in navigating these complex family matters. By engaging a knowledgeable attorney, parents can better manage their custody disputes, working towards solutions that support the child’s well-being and stability.

How are Custody Arrangements Determined?

When courts develop a parenting plan for a child, they will consider a variety of facts about the child and his or her parents, each designed to create a plan that serves the child’s best interests. The court can use its discretion to weigh certain factors more heavily than others as it deems necessary. The factors it considers include, but are not limited to: 

• Each parent’s age and health
• The child’s relationship with each parent and the other people present in their households
• The child’s personal needs, such as the need for specific academic or medical resources
• Each parent’s willingness to cooperate with each other and the court on child-related orders like child support and the parenting plan
• Any history of domestic violence or substance abuse in either parent’s household.

Can I Modify my Parenting Plan?

As a child grows and matures, the parenting plan established when their parents divorced may not always continue to serve their needs. For example, a parenting plan created for a kindergartener might no longer be well-suited to the child’s needs by high school. 

Typically, a parenting plan cannot be modified unless there is a significant change in circumstances that warrants the change. If parents disagree on a proposed alteration to their custody agreement, the parent seeking the change must prove to the court that the change is in the child’s best interest. 

Work with Experienced Excelsior Child Custody Lawyers

To learn more about how child custody agreements are created, enforced, and modified in Minnesota, set up your initial legal consultation with one of the experienced Excelsior child custody lawyers at Atticus Family Law today. We are here to help you through the custody process and the legal issues that can crop up in the months and years that follow. Do not wait to get started with a member of our team.