Minnetonka Child Custody Attorney

Minnetonka Child Custody Attorney

Child custody determines your rights as a parent, which makes every child custody concern a critical matter. Child custody in Minnesota breaks down into both legal custody and physical custody – both of which play an important role in parenting. If you find yourself in the difficult position of facing a legal issue involving child custody, don’t wait to reach out for the skilled legal guidance of an experienced Minnetonka child custody attorney.

Legal Custody

Legal custody encompasses the important decision-making that parents are called upon to address, including decisions about primary topics such as the following:

• Your children’s healthcare
• Your children’s education
• Your children’s participation in extracurricular activities and travel
• Your children’s religious upbringing

You and your children’s other parent can make these determinations between yourselves, but if this isn’t feasible or advisable, additional options include:

• One of you retaining the authority to break a tie
• One of you making the decisions on your own
• Both of you dividing the decisions between yourselves according to the category of decision that needs to be made

Physical Custody

Physical custody determines parenting time, which reflects your parenting plan. Parenting time represents the schedule that will guide how you and your ex divide your time between your shared children, and it has the potential to become the most hotly contested term of your divorce. You and your children’s other parent can resolve this primary concern between yourselves, and if you’re able to do so, you have considerable discretion in terms of scheduling options. If not, however, the court will almost certainly hand down one of its basic parenting time schedules. 

Best Interest Factors

Minnesota courts base child custody decisions on the involved children’s best interests, and toward this end, they take factors like the following into careful consideration:

• Each parent’s input on the matter
• The preference of each child who is deemed capable of offering a reasonable preference
• Each child’s physical and psychological needs
• Any special needs any of the children have and each parent’s ability to adequately address them
• Each parent’s involvement in raising the children thus far
• How well the status quo – in terms of your children’s home, schooling, and community – supports their best interests
• Each parent’s level of commitment to upholding the parenting time schedule
• The benefits of maximizing the amount of time both parents spend with the children in relation to the detrimental effects of minimizing the amount of time the children spend with one parent
• Each parent’s commitment to supporting the other’s ongoing relationship with the children
• Whether child abuse, domestic violence, or neglect needs to be considered
• Any other factors the court considers relevant

Turn to an Experienced Minnetonka Child Custody Attorney for the Help You Need Today

The trusted child custody attorneys at Atticus Family Law in Minnetonka, Minnesota, dedicate their impressive practice to helping valued clients like you resolve their child custody concerns favorably, and we’re here for you, too. For more information, please don’t delay in contacting us today.