Pierce County Child Custody Attorneys
Child custody is an area of family law that is especially prone to high levels of conflict. Contact a family law attorney to learn how to protect your parental rights and safeguard your child's best interests through divorce or separation.
The lawyers of Miller, Quinlan & Auter, P.S., Inc., in the Tacoma, Pierce County, area, are well prepared to handle complex child custody matters such as the following:
- Legal custody
- Physical custody
- Joint custody
- Parenting plans for custodial and non-custodial parents (custody and visitation)
- Restrictions on a parent's visitation time with the child due to neglect or a history of domestic abuse
- Parenting plans
- Non-parental visitation rights (for a grandparent, an aunt or uncle or a parental figure such as a former step-parent or former domestic partner of a parent of the child)
- Enforcement
- Modifications, including custody modifications, parenting plan modifications, move away (removal) cases when a custodial parent wishes to move out of the area
Contact the law offices of Miller, Quinlan & Auter, P.S., Inc., to schedule an appointment regarding your child custody concern, whether it is part of a divorce or is a stand-alone legal issue such as in the case of unmarried parents (including same-sex couples).
Modifications, Relocation (Move Away)
Your family is no doubt under stress as you or your child's other parent contemplate a move out of state. If you are the custodial parent, you may wish to petition the family law court for permission to take your child outside the geographical area of the other parent for any number of reasons:
- You have a job offer out of state
- You wish to move closer to your extended family in another geographical location
- You are about to remarry and your new spouse has a job opportunity or family elsewhere
However compelling your reason for wanting to move with your child out of the area may be, the family courts have the discretion to deny the petition for the sake of preserving the parental rights of your child's other parent. If you insist on moving and the family court denies the child custody modification, it is possible that you will lose the right to be the child’s primary custodial parent.
Our family law attorneys understand the complexities and uniqueness of each family situation. We are prepared to work with you and your child’s other parent to try to help you arrive at a revised parenting plan that the family courts will agree to if you must move out of state. You and your ex-spouse or partner will need to address issues including the following:
- How will the child travel between home locations of both parents?
- Who will pay for flights between parental locations?
- Who will accompany the child when he or she flies between homes?
- How will child support be impacted by a child custody modification?
Our firm strives to satisfactorily meet client objectives and goals by focusing on the most practical, fair and expedient way forward when child custody is in dispute.
Contact the law offices of Miller, Quinlan & Auter, P.S., Inc., to schedule a consultation regarding modifications of child custody orders.
