As we discussed previously on this blog, child custody and visitation determinations are made based on the bests interests of the child involved. Although some couples are able to work together to come to an arrangement that they feel furthers those interests, in many instances parents disagree with each other. In these circumstances, the matter may be left for a judge to decide, which can be a scary proposition considering he or she may know little, if anything, about one’s family.

Since the best interests of the child standard is extremely subjective, the issue is often ripe for legal argument. Midwesterners can therefore work closely with a skilled legal team, like the one at our firm, to gather pertinent evidence and present it in a persuasive fashion. This evidence can be challenging to obtain and difficult to elicit from some witnesses, which is why the assistance of a family law attorney often proves invaluable.

At the Stange Law Firm, we know how to utilize incidences of domestic violence, substance abuse and child neglect to further our clients’ positions. While we often present this evidence to the court during litigation, we are also well-adept at building strong legal arguments to bolster our clients’ positions during settlement negotiations. By doing so, we are often able to avoid court and obtain favorable outcomes.

Presenting a child custody case is about much more than showing the other parent’s faults. In fact, the focus should truly be on the child. Therefore, matters such as where the child will go to school, the effect a custodial arrangement will have on his or her familial connections and the financial resources available to the child can be factors the court weighs heavily in its determination. There’s too much at stake in these cases to forego strong legal representation in these matters. After all, a poorly argued case could result in a lost relationship between a parent and a child. Therefore, Midwesterners who are facing or about to face a child custody or visitation dispute should think about how firms like ours may prove beneficial.