If you and your spouse find it difficult to reach an agreement concerning custom matters or child support, it may be necessary to turn to the family court for a child custody evaluation. In these cases, you need to have a skilled Mankato child custody lawyer by your side. At Knutson+Casey, you can count on our compassionate family law attorneys to help you with all your physical custody and legal custody needs.
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Child custody and parenting time can become an issue for various reasons in Minnesota, and most often involves cases in which parents are divorcing or legally separating. In Minnesota, it must be decided which parent(s) the child will live with and who will determine the child’s daily activities. It also needs to be determined which parent we have the right to make major decisions regarding the child’s life.
When there is a non-custodial parent involved (a parent that does not have sole or joint physical custody), there will need to be a “parenting time” schedule created. This is also commonly referred to as “visitation.” Parenting time will often be set according to a schedule as a result of a court order.
It is important to distinguish between physical custody and legal custody in Minnesota:
Both types of custody must be decided before a divorce or separation is finalized. It is important to note that both types of custody may be shared (joint custody), or one parent may have sole custody. The type of custody arrangement does not have to be the same for both physical and legal custody. For example, one parent may have sole physical custody of a child while both parents have legal custody. There can be various types of custody arrangements.
While there are times when parents can reach an agreement regarding legal and physical custody of their children, it may also be the case that there is disagreement. When this occurs, the matter will be left to the court to decide. An attorney may be required to ensure that you, as one of the parents involved, are treated fairly by the Minnesota family court. This will be especially important if the other parent makes unfounded accusations against you.
Dealing with issues related to child custody can be incredibly emotional and complicated. At Knutson+Casey, we are ready to help if you are going through a current separation or divorce, or have already been separated for some time and need to make custody modifications. Our compassionate team has vast experience handling these cases in southern Minnesota, and we thoroughly understand child custody laws in this state. Our Mankato child custody lawyers are ready to get to work to ensure you are treated fairly throughout this process. You can contact us for a free consultation online or by calling (507) 344-8888.