Washington County Child Custody Lawyers

Washington County Child Custody Lawyers

Every divorce comes complete with many complications, but one of the most difficult aspects of any divorce that involves children is the determination of child custody arrangements. If you’re facing such a divorce, consulting with an experienced Washington County child custody lawyer is the surest path forward.

Child Custody Arrangements

Every divorce – and subsequently the determination of child custody issues within that divorce – is as different as the family involved, but there are some basics that generally guide the majority of cases, including:

• Except in extreme situations in which it’s not considered in the best interests of the children involved, both parents typically share legal custody. This means that both parents make important decisions on behalf of their children together. Such decisions focus on matters such as education, health care, religious upbringing, and extracurriculars. 
• Generally, one parent becomes the primary custodial parent, which means that the children live primarily with this parent in his or her home and have a visitation schedule with the other parent. Some parents, of course, share their children’s time more evenly, and some parents get creative with these arrangements in an effort to best serve their family’s unique needs. 
• Because the State of Minnesota deems that both parents are financially responsible for their children throughout their childhoods, one parent – usually the one with the visitation schedule – pays child support that’s based on state calculation guidelines to the other parent. This is to help offset the expense of supporting the children the majority of the time. 

Your Negotiations

If you and your divorcing spouse can agree to child custody arrangements that you can both sign off on, you won’t need to take the matter before the court, which is generally in your best interests. It’s important to recognize that you aren’t alone in this endeavor – you’ll have the professional legal counsel of your respective child custody attorneys on your side throughout the process. Further, if negotiations between you and your spouse break down and your respective attorneys are unable to push the negotiations forward on your behalf, the option of mediation remains. 

The Court’s Involvement

If you can’t come to mutually acceptable child custody arrangements between yourselves, you’ll need to take the matter before the court. While the court’s motivation is always the best interest of the children involved, the judge assigned to your case simply can’t know or understand your children’s needs the way you do. If your divorcing spouse simply refuses to negotiate reasonably, this may be the only option left to you, and it should not be attempted without a child custody lawyer at your side. 

An Experienced Washington County Child Custody Lawyer Can Help

Divorce issues related to child custody are the most difficult of all. The dedicated Washington County child custody lawyers at Atticus Family Law, however, are committed to using their considerable skills and resources in advocating for arrangements that protect your rights as a parent and that work for you. We care about your case, so please don’t hesitate to contact us today.