Dealing with the aspects of a divorce that are directly related to children is typically the most challenging part of a divorce. Everyone wants the best for their children. The problems arise because most people have different ideas about what may be best for their children.
When the court is making decisions regarding child custody, it will always strive to serve the best interests of the child. Determining what those best interests are can be contentious. There are several aspects to determining child custody:
- Legal custody — Determines whether one or both parents have decision-making power over how your child is to be raised. Health care, education and religion are key areas. In most cases, joint legal custody is granted to both parents.
- Physical custody — This refers to who is the custodial parent; i.e., who does the child live with primarily. Determining the best day-to-day living situation for your children and making sure that they have appropriate amounts of time with each parent will be key to the success of your divorce. Experience tells us that, in most cases, the client's satisfaction with the outcome of the divorce is tied directly to how well the children do after the breakup of the marriage.
Early neutral evaluation is a process in which two evaluators meet with the parties and their attorneys and conduct an analysis of how the custody decision would likely come out if the case went to trial. This process can replace an expensive full-blown custody study. It can help you see how things are likely to be resolved. Having that knowledge often helps divorcing couples reach decisions with less acrimony and without trial. if the parties cannot reach agreement in the ENE process, the Court can still make the determination.
The other key component of child custody is visitation or parenting time. Setting a visitation schedule can be very contentious. Our firm can help through parenting time expediting. Your court-appointed expediter will meet with the parents and attempt to mediate a parenting time schedule that works for them, but more importantly, that works for the children. If the parents are unable to reach a mediated agreement, the Expediter will make a Decision. This process allows a less expensive and faster resolution than waiting for a court hearing and judge's decision.
The other key component of child custody is visitation or parenting time. Setting a visitation schedule can be very contentious. Our firm can help through parenting time expediting. This is where we would come in and help parents work out a parenting time schedule that works for them, but more importantly, that works for the children.
At Wintering Law Office, our Rochester child custody attorney has been helping individuals and families to successfully move beyond divorce and set up custody, visitation and child support agreements that create the best situation for the children and the parents. We understand that not all children will thrive under the same sort of circumstances, so we are committed to creating individualized agreements that recognize the realities of your family's situation.
Child support is determined according to state guidelines that look at such factors as both parents' income and expenses such as day care and health care for the children and the parenting time schedule. We know how to ensure that the proper numbers are used to formulate your child support levels.
Southeast Minnesota Child Support Lawyer
For effective and compassionate guidance when you are attempting to arrange child custody, visitation and child support agreements, turn to Wintering Law Office, Ltd. Our Minnesota family lawyer can help you create a future that will work for you. To schedule a free initial consultation, call 507-216-4619, toll free at 888-674-4298, or simply contact us online. We accept credit cards for our clients' convenience.
