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Child Custody

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Child Custody Handled with Care

Nothing strikes fear in the hearts of divorcing parents more than the thought of losing contact with their children. This highly charged aspect of divorce is universally nail-biting, especially when agonizing over the short and long-term wellbeing of your kids. 

At DuBois Levias Law Group, we aim for healthy relationship dynamics and parenting plans that are customized for your specific family. Research shows that stability and continuity with both parents are vital. (Even if you’re wondering on repeat, “How in the world will I be able to co-parent with this person I cannot stand?”)

We strive to minimize the negative impact that custody cases can have on children. We look at the situation from the perspective of your kids first. Because that’s the point of view the court prioritizes. 

Parenting Before

The court will look at the preexisting strength of each parent’s relationship with the child. Emotional ties and stability rise to the top. On a temporary basis, the court tends to follow along the lines of who usually took primary responsibility and spent the most time with children before the case started.

It matters who gets them ready for school, shuttles them to activities, takes them to appointments. Make sure you’re involved now—and document your day-to-day parenting so you can easily access that information when you need it.

Making the Plan

In an ideal world, both parents would reach a win-win agreement between themselves, present that parenting plan to the court, and never give it a second thought. Unfortunately, real kid-filled life is not always that straightforward.

For disputes on child custody and support, working with seasoned divorce attorneys and mediators give you a good chance of working out a mutually agreeable plan at a lower cost than a full-fledged battle.

Court is a last resort. Do you really want your parenting terms dictated by an extremely busy judge who doesn’t know your child’s needs, personality, and desires? If push does come to shove however, our attorneys are skilled litigators who do not shy away from the courtroom to protect children.

Parenting Information

Even if one person previously held the role of the primary parent, the court envisions what future parenting relationship would serve the best emotional interests of your children. Set your sights on their long-term health and happiness.

Both parents should ask themselves: “A year from the day I get divorced, how do I want my kids’ lives to be?” Where do you want them to be living? How do you want them to feel about themselves? Are their days and nights relatively stress-free?

We solidify these visions into a cohesive parenting plan that works livable wonders for your reconfigured family. Once you have a parenting plan in place, modifying it can be difficult, but we can handle that eventuality too.

Lean On a Legal Team Led by Working Parents

We advocate for both moms and dads (with kids always the priority). We know how multi-faceted and multi-task-filled it is to be both a parent and a professional. We translate the emotion and everyday realities of parenting to legal arguments. We have a stellar record litigating cases with challenging child custody concerns, including accusations of domestic violence, drug use, child abuse, and mental illness.

Your child custody and visitation agreement—a required part of your final divorce orders called the parenting plan—is challenging to map out. With creative problem-solving and a personal approach, we help you come up with solutions tailored to your one-of-a-kind family.

Start Your Customized Parenting Plan here

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With a global community in Seattle and rise in multinational marriages, international child custody issues are becoming more common. We employ a diverse team of lawyers with experience in the complexities of international custody laws and living abroad to help you navigate this disorienting scenario.

Find Out More about International Child Custody 

It’s not easy to modify a parenting plan. Courts favor stable residential schedules and custodial continuity. You need to demonstrate how a substantial change in circumstances has occurred since the parenting plan was entered with the court.

Start Your Parenting Plan Modification Here

Strict laws exist on the parental relocation of a child. Representing both sides of this issue, we understand the legal and personal dynamics involved for both the parent who wants to move, and the parent objecting to a relocation.

Case Concerns: Parenting Evaluator

If you experience disagreements or conflict in your divorce or custody case, the court could appoint a Parenting Evaluator or a Guardian ad Litem (GAL). This person is typically an experienced family law attorney or mental health professional charged with making customized recommendations that look out for your child. The court relies heavily on their input.

The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.