Coyne, Cundiff and Hillemann, PC Child Custody / Visitation

St. Charles County Child Custody & Visitation Attorneys

St. Charles County Family Lawyers Protecting Your Child's Best Interest

child sitting in car and looking out window

The most emotionally difficult parts of a divorce for parents with children are determining child custody and visitation rights. Across the United States, the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act has been enacted in order to discourage and criminalize a non-custodial parent from kidnapping a child and taking him or her across state lines. According to this law, custody orders are enforced no matter what state the child or children live in. Missouri child custody and visitation rights laws are based on determining what is in the best interests of the child.

The court uses the following factors to determine child custody and visitation rights:

The child's medical needs
The mental and physical well-being of every party involved
Any history of substance abuse, criminal activity, or neglect
The child's emotional needs
The child's wishes
Plans by either parent to relocate
Each parent's desires for the child
Each parent's openness to the child maintaining a healthy relationship with the other parent

Call 636.561.5599 to reach the St. Charles County child custody attorneys at Coyne, Cundiff and Hillemann, PC!

Possible Results of a Child Custody Hearing in St. Charles County

By working closely with each client, we are able to present a well thought out and detailed case on his or her behalf before an opposing attorney or a judge in order to settle child custody rights in a timely manner. Our goal is to satisfy our client's wishes and desires, while keeping the rights and needs of the children involved as the most important factor in the case. Once our case is prepared and each facet of the divorce is addressed, the court will decide which parent or parents will have physical and legal custody of the child or children.

There are five different custody arrangements that the court will consider:

Joint physical and legal custody to both parents.
Joint physical custody to both parents and sole legal custody to one parent.
Joint legal custody to both parents and sole physical custody to one parent.
Legal and physical sole custody to one parent.
Custody or visitation by grandparents and other third parties.

Child Visitation Across State Lines

Interstate visitation and custody is governed by the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, which determines which state has the final say in custody and visitation rulings. The judge should take into account the following: reasons for moving, the child's relationships with a community, the parents' relationship with each other, and the child's needs.

The UCCJA sets forth the following (in order of preference) in regards to interstate custody disputes:

The child's home state (where they lived for 6 months prior to the legal action) makes the final decision
The home state will be the place where the child has the most significant connections or relationships
The home state is the state where the child is residing due to safety concerns

If the state in question cannot meet any of the above requirements, they are not allowed to make a decision regarding the child's custody. If both states meet any of the above requirements then only one state is allowed to make the final decision regarding the child's custody.

Facing divorce? Our St. Charles County Child Custody Attorneys Can Help!

The care and custody of children following a divorce can often be a major source of contention and stress for parents. The advice and assistance of a St. Charles County child custody attorney at our firm can allow parents to establish agreements that focus on the best interests of the children.

Contact our St. Charles County family lawyers at Coyne, Cundiff and Hillemann, PC today. We would be happy to schedule a free case consultation in our office or in our client's home to discuss the legal options available for determining the best child custody and visitation schedule possible.

Tell us about your specific situation in a free case evaluation as soon as you can. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with a St. Charles County child custody attorney.

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"Jessica Schumacher is an outstanding attorney!"
Jessica Schumacher represented me in a very difficult custody case that was in the court system for over 2 years!! Through out that 2 years Jessica devoted not only her professional time but also her personal time to my case! Jessica is an outstanding attorney and will continue to represent me in any future legal matters!!

- Jade H.
"Attorney Patrick Coyne! Makes Sure You Understand Everything!"
Patrick Coyne is awesome! He takes time and makes sure you understand the situation!!!! Above all he's a super Attorney and highly recommend him to anyone!

- Stephani W.
"This is the only firm I will ever use!"
I have been using Pat Coyne, Brian Zink and Lorna Hubber for last 15 years. I have referred both friends and family. What I like most is they tell you what to expect through the whole process from criminal cases to family law and personal injury. If they tell you what they can do for you for your outcome, you can count on them and sometimes you get a better outcome then what was suggested. This is the only firm I will ever use as well as my family. If you use another firm you will be disappointed. My boyfriend got a speeding ticket and their rates were the lowest. And the court cost and fine was less than the speeding fine.

- Amy W.
"Impressed & Highly Recommended!"
I was in a motorcycle accident back in 2014 and the insurance company didn't want to work with me. I visited with quite a few different attorneys and none of them impressed me like Brad Cundiff did. He did an excellent job and would highly recommend him to anyone! I've also used Patrick Coyne and he is very good at what he does!

- Adam M.
"I never felt like I was fighting alone!"
Brad Condiff and his staff are awesome. I highly recommend them. They were there for me anytime or day that I needed to talk to them. Brad took extra time to explain everything to me. I never felt like I was fighting alone.

- Linda P.
"Honest, Friendly Attorneys! Great job!"
Honest, Friendly Attorneys! Great job!

- Roberta C.
"Pat Coyne did an amazing job from start to finish!"
I was falsely accused and I reached out to Pat Coyne immediately. He did an amazing job from start to finish, and the charges were dropped. Not only did he do his job flawlessly, he was very informative and personable throughout. I couldn't ask for a better lawyer, and I highly recommend him to anyone.

- Dustin F.
"Highly Recommended! These guys are great attorneys!"
I have known and used this firm for as long as I can remember and they've never disappointed me and kept expectations realistic. They've always kept their word (which means a lot to me) if they say they can do it they can and will do it! I've used all of them for different things for over 13 years now, since I was 16 and have known them for over 20 years. My father and grandfather used them even longer until they both passed away which they were very helpful with as well and one of them even showed up to my Dad Kenneth Wimer's funeral and the others reached out to me personally with regards and apologized for not being able to attend the funeral which I'm pretty sure they sent flowers still even though they couldn't attend. The attorneys at this firm are all very helpful, caring, understanding, very reasonable with pricing, and trustworthy. I have always recommended them to anyone who needs to hire an attorney or even if they just had questions or needed advice and everyone I have sent to them have always been happy and satisfied with their work. They can handle anything you need taken care of and if for some very small reason they can't they can send you to someone they know and trust. These guys are great attorneys and I'd highly recommend them to any and everybody without a doubt!

- Ashley W.

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