St. Paul Child Custody Lawyer

Reviewing Visitation & Custody after Divorce

Whether you are married to your partner or you just have a child in common, the basic picture in a child custody or parenting time dispute goes like this: You have two people who love the same children dearly. The stakes are high and emotions run hot. On the one hand, you can reach some kind of truce, where neither parent gets all the time with the kids they want, but you found some tolerable middle ground and stopped the war. And then there are the scenarios where you simply have to put it to the district court judge, a third-party government official who doesn’t really know either one of you, or your kids for that matter, and who is very decidedly displeased about being put in the situation of having to apply the “ best interests ” law for your children. If they have to, your governmental decision maker will make a best-guess approximation on how things should be, based on a extremely limited snapshot of the lives of you and your family. Most often, this official will never have even met your kids. Any of them. Ponder that.

You are going to need a lawyer capable of wearing many different hats. There is no right or wrong here, at least in any important sense. There’s just the kids. In the tragic cases, you might need a warrior on your behalf or on behalf of the kids. Sometimes there are drug or alcohol issues within the family, and your lawyer should have extensive experience in that regard. Perhaps there are only a few areas of dispute where the negotiating skills of your attorney can guide you and your partner to an arrangement where both of you can maintain your constant presence in the lives of your children.

Regardless of your specific situation, I am here to help. I offer a free initial consultation with no time limit so that you can get a better understanding of your family law situation, and what to expect. Divorce is not easy, after over 20 years of working in family law I can attest to that, but what I can do for you is make the process easier to understand, and ensure that you are getting what's best for both you and your children. So while I can't promise you that the process will be quick or easy, I can promise you that like anything else, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right.

To read Minnesota's Best Interest of the Child Statute (which family law courts use to determine the placement of children) click here.

DISCLAIMER: This site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. The only way you can truly receive legal advice is to speak with an attorney about your specific situation. The content on this website aims to be informative to general principles of family law. The application of the law to your specific case is a service that only a legal professional can provide.

The Law Offices of James D. Capra, Located in St. Paul, services the entire Twin Cities area in all areas of Family Law. If you have a question about Divorce, Child Custody or Visitation, Spousal Support, Child Support, Alimony or any other area of family law do not hesitate to contact him. James A. Capra works with family law and divorce clients in Ramsey and Washington County, St. Paul, Oakdale, Woodbury, Maplewood, Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Dakota County and throughout the Twin Cities area.