Your Personal Legal Advocate

Protecting The Time You Spend With Your Child

When you are going through a child custody or parenting time dispute, you can find yourself under a lot of stress. You will want to know what you can do to maximize the amount of time you can spend with your child, and you will have questions about what is going to happen in your case. At Cloutier Law Offices P.A., attorney Elizabeth Cloutier knows how important these cases are to you. She will work hard to help you obtain the right custody and parenting time agreement for you and your child, and she is committed to protecting your interests throughout your case, including inside the courtroom, if necessary.

Extensive Experience Handling Child Custody And Parenting Time Cases

Attorney Elizabeth A. Cloutier has over 25 years of experience in handling custody and parenting time cases and other family law matters in Minnesota. Elizabeth will negotiate tirelessly with the other side in the hopes of finding an agreement that keeps the focus on the child, and if an agreement is not possible, she will aggressively advocate for your interests at trial.

What Factors Does The Court Consider When Determining Custody?

These disputes often center on what type of custody arrangement the parties will have in place. One of the parents may want sole or legal custody of the child, while the other may want to have shared custody. In these cases, the courts will look at the best interests of the child to determine the appropriate custody and parenting time arrangements. This includes such factors as:

  • The child’s physical, emotional and mental needs and the effect of the proposed agreement on these needs
  • The preference of the child, if the child is mature enough to understand what is happening
  • The fitness of a parent to provide for the child
  • The effect the agreement would have on the child’s life if he or she had to move or change schools
  • The ability of the parents to cooperate when issues arise

In pursuit of your desired outcome, Ms. Cloutier can consult with experts to review child custody and parenting time proposals to help you demonstrate why your requests should be granted.

Third-Party Custody And Grandparents’ Rights

In addition to helping parents with these cases, the firm can also assist in third-party custody cases for individuals who may have acted in a parental role to the child. This includes grandparents who are looking to establish custody or visitation rights.

Do You Have Child Custody Concerns?

Cloutier Law Offices P.A. serves clients throughout the Twin Cities metro area. To schedule a free consultation with an experienced child custody and parenting time lawyer, call the Minneapolis office at 612-332-5100 or email the firm through this website.