Parenting Time Lawyer Near Edina

Parenting Time Lawyer Near Edina

Parenting time refers to the time each parent spends with his or her children under his or her care, and it’s an important component of divorce and other custody matters (including custody modifications). If you have a parenting time concern, your best interests are always best served when you have a parenting time lawyer near Edina on your side. 

Dividing Parenting Time

Regardless of whether custody is joint or sole or whether one parent becomes the primary custodial parent or not, both parents are very likely to be awarded time with their shared children. This is because the court bases its parenting time rulings on the best interests of the children involved, and the court begins with the premise that it is in all children’s best interests to continue spending time with both their parents (barring a pressing reason to rule otherwise). As such, regardless of the custody determination, both parents are very likely to be awarded parenting time with their shared children.

The Court’s 12 Best Interest Factors

In making its parenting time determinations, the court takes the following 12 factors into careful consideration (in addition to anything else it deems pertinent):

• The children’s needs (including their physical, emotional, spiritual, and cultural needs), and the effects the proposed parenting time arrangements will have on these needs and on the children’s overall development 
• Any special medical, psychological, or educational needs one of the children may have (that could require special arrangements and/or more careful scheduling requirements)
• The children’s reasonable preferences (as appropriate)
• Whether domestic abuse has played a role in either parent’s relationship with the family
• Any physical, psychological, or addiction issues either parent may experience that could affect the children’s well-being
• Each parent’s past level of participation in raising the children
• Each parent’s ability and willingness to continue caring for the children; to continue meeting their developmental, emotional, spiritual, and cultural needs; and to follow through with the parenting time schedules handed down
• The effect the proposed arrangements will have on the children’s relationships with each parent, with their siblings, and with other significant people in their lives (including grandparents and other family members)
• The benefits of maximizing parenting time with both parents as compared to the detriment of limiting parenting time with one parent
• The likelihood that both parents will support the children’s relationships with the other parent
• The willingness and capacity each parent has to cooperate in raising their children in an emotionally healthy way

After weighing in on each of these important factors and balancing the results, the court will move forward with making parenting time decisions that are in keeping with the children’s best interests.  

Seek the Experienced Legal Counsel of a Dedicated Parenting Time Lawyer near Edina

If you are facing a parenting time issue, the resourceful parenting time lawyers at Atticus Family Law – near Edina – have impressive reserves of experience helping clients like you obtain parenting time schedules that uphold their parental rights. We’re here for you, so please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information today.