Child Custody

Helping You Fight for Your Parental Rights

The tendrils of divorce often expand into very emotional areas. This is especially true when children are involved,
and custody is contested. Each parent believes they know what is best for the children, and the thought of being cut out of their own child’s life, not being allowed to spend much time with them and/or missing holidays, is deeply unsettling and upsetting.

At Hecht Schondorf, we know the complexities involved in divorce and understand the emotional toll it has on the family dynamic. As people with our own families and children we love, we have a vested interest in making the best out of every situation. With that in mind, our years of experience have taught us to be thoughtful, direct with the facts, honest regarding possibilities and probabilities, and be objective in our counsel. We explain the options clearly to help you make informed decisions.

Our goal is to be sincere advocates and powerful litigators for you if or when the situation merits. However, well before any trial occurs, we meet with you to discuss the facts and look at your position in the marital relationship, and the law’s position on child custody.

The allocation of parenting responsibilities (formerly known as “child custody”) is the right to make legal decisions regarding the life of the child. Courts decide this by following the “best interests of the child” standard. The court will often employ a Guardian ad Litem (“GAL”) and might require the use of a 604.10(b) mental health evaluator to make custody and parenting responsibility determinations. If you and your (ex) spouse can agree to make decisions together, joint parenting responsibility can be appropriate. Again, what the children want and need should be the overriding consideration. For the record, our office has managed to have sole parenting responsibility of children awarded in appropriate cases, as well as obtaining joint “custody”.