Search Site
Menu

What Is Legal Custody?

In Minnesota, the presumption is that parents will share joint legal custody, even when one parent has sole physical custody. The law assumes it is beneficial for children to have both parents involved in the major decisions in their lives. There are, however, situations where the court will award sole legal custody to one parent. Generally, that is limited to situations where one parent unable to help make major decisions due to chemical dependency, mental illness or domestic abuse issues. Courts also can award sole legal custody to one parent when the parents have an extreme inability to communicate and cooperate in the decision-making process.

Major decisions are defined as education, religious and medical decisions, including:

  • Where the child will attend school
  • With which religion the child will be raised
  • Any medical issues affecting the child

If parents with joint legal custody are unable to reach an agreement on a legal custody issue, they would need to attempt mediation and/or ask a judge to decide the issue for them.

Every divorce and custody case is different. For more information on whether you should seek sole legal custody of your child, contact an experienced Minneapolis family law attorney with Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Our Attorneys
Client testimonials
  • "Tori had a thorough understanding of my situation and made excellent recommendations to resolve my concerns. She was persistent on communication and handled everything in a very timely manner. I would definitely hire her again in the future if needed." - M.K.

  • "With Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A., it is like having a family physician. They are all knowledgeable, thorough, comforting, and the only call I need to make for all my legal needs for many years to come. No matter what the matter, I totally trust their advice and commitment to me and my family." - J.N.

  • "Mary from APH Law helped me thru a difficult divorce. She and the entire staff was there for me every step of the way helping me on what to do next. They listened to what I wanted and helped me achieve what matter the most to me in the divorce settlement." - Dana C.

  • "I chose APH after my initial consultation with Mary. I felt my best interest would be represented. The entire process went excellent, the attorneys and staff communicated effectively and efficiently with me throughout the process as they needed to. Being new to the legal process and verbiage, they walked me and talked me through the next steps and the jargon, I felt completely comfortable and represented. I hope I never have to use legal services again but if I do I will call Mary at APH Law and know that I will be taken care of." - Jeff M.

  • "Divorce is a time of emotion and stress. Mary Pfeifer , My lawyer was professional and compassionate. She was very informative through the process. Her insight helped me in my decisions. She worked hard to obtain a settlement which was fair to both parties.Though, I hope I won't need her help again. It is reassuring to know a good person that is willing to help." - Rod S.

  • "I first came to Ms. Jacquelyn Lutz of Appelhof, Pfeifer and Hart in October of 2016. It was definitely the worst time in my life and she compassionately spoke with me about my options. Ms. Lutz thoroughly explained the laws, statutes, process and what to expect going forward. What was supposed to be one case, turned into three intricate cases that took a huge toll on me and my family. Ms. Lutz represented me in court on all three cases with a vast knowledge of the laws and how to proceed accordingly. During all three cases she kept me informed, calm, gave me resources to utilize, and (most important) gave me a realistic view of what may come next. Ms. Lutz knew each case required a great deal of knowledge and creative thinking on how to legally proceed forward with each case. My family and friends are forever grateful for the amazing representation by Ms. Lutz. I highly recommend Ms. Lutz for anyone needing or considering superb representation for any kind of family law. " - M.H.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION


superlawyers
Contact us

Quick Contact Form