West Des Moines Child Custody Attorneys

Ready to Fight for Your Relationship with Your Child

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 child custody lawyers work hard to get clients the custody and visitation orders they need to protect their parental rights.

Protecting Your 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 child custody 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 custody 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, our child custody lawyers in Des Moines, Iowa help fathers establish their paternal rights.

Parenting Plans

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.

Unstable Parent Custody

Since custody is decided based on the best interest of the child, a parent that is the primary physical caregiver may not end up being awarded primary custody if they demonstrate that they are unstable. Judges will not only look at instances of physical abuse, substance abuse, and neglect, but they will also look at the impacts of parental behavior on the child. So, if a parent is behaving in potentially harmful, erratic ways, they may end up not being awarded custody.

For this reason, it’s important that you maintain a healthy, stable environment if you are going to argue that your children should be in your primary care.

---

Contact us now to schedule a free consultation with a West Des Moines child custody lawyer!

---