Serving families throughout the Greater Des Moines area
515.200.7571
515.200.7571
515.200.7571
During divorce and child custody disputes, many parents worry they will not have the parenting time they need to maintain strong bonds with their child. At The Law Offices of Mark R. Hinshaw, we understand how important parenting time is to develop and nurture parent-child relationships. Located in West Des Moines, our family lawyers work hard to get clients the custody and visitation orders they need to protect their parental rights.
As a parent, you have the right to establish and maintain a meaningful relationship with your child. At The Law Offices of Mark R. Hinshaw, we will help you protect that right. Our West Des Moines family law attorneys are dedicated and skilled professionals. We are always prepared for a fight and use every legal tool available to protect our clients' parent-child bonds.
In Iowa, there are two types of custody:
Physical care refers to the amount of time children and parents spend together. Legal custody refers to each parent's power to make decisions regarding the health, education and general welfare of his or her child. In Iowa, there is no presumption of joint custody. Instead, parents must petition the court for joint physical care. Judges then make custody and visitation determinations based on the best interests of the child.
When children are born outside of marriage, additional steps must be taken to establish paternity before fathers have custody rights to their children. At The Law Offices of Mark R. Hinshaw, we help fathers establish their paternal rights.
Parenting plans are often used to determine custody and visitation schedules. Parenting plans are complex documents. While they must clearly dictate how parenting time is shared, transportation schedules, how school events will be attended and where children will spend weekends and holidays, they must be flexible enough to accommodate the realities of life.