Divorces are complicated in most cases, and if child custody is involved, the biological parents often have their differences. As a parent, you need to know the state laws of Minnesota to understand your rights, duties, and responsibilities better. In this post, we are talking in depth about factors determining child custody in the state and other relevant aspects that matter.
Legal and physical custody explained
There are two types of child custody that divorcing parents need to know about. The first one is legal custody, which gives the concerned parent the right to make important decisions related to the significant aspects of a child’s life, such as healthcare and education. Physical custody, as the name implies, refers to having the child in his/her home. It is possible for parents to have sole or joint custody, while it is also not rare to find cases why physical custody and legal custody have been granted to different parents.
What determines child custody?
The court will eventually consider wellbeing of the child as the foremost concern for deciding on custody. Joint physical custody is often granted when both parents agree to cooperate with one another and resolve disagreements for the better good of the child. Other factors, such as history of domestic abuse, other points of disagreements between the couple, are aspects that will be considered by the court. Note that child custody and child support are not the same things. When it comes to support, all costs, income of parents, parenting time each parent will have are factors that will determine the amount that both pay towards child’s care and wellbeing.
Get a child custody attorney
When you are unsure of how to move ahead with the case and protect your rights as a parent, working with a child custody attorney is your best bet. They can work with other parent’s attorney to come up with a parenting plan, which can be presented in the court. If you and your partner cannot come to an agreement with regards to child custody and support, the court will determine what’s in best interest of the child and is fair to both parents, for which an evaluator will be appointed.
Find a reliable law firm and discuss your concerns with an experienced child custody attorney to know your options. It is always wise to agree to co-parenting, so that unwanted and complicated legal mess can be avoided.
