Custody Litigation

Top St. Louis Custody Attorneys

In any divorce proceeding, the most significant (and often contentious) issue is child custody and visitation.  At Anderson Henderson, our family law attorneys strive to minimize the negative effect that a divorce has on a child.  Accordingly, we will seek to obtain a suitable arrangement that is both appropriate and equitable for you and your children.

Without a custody order from the court, both parents are free to take the child or children wherever they please. A custody order establishes what each parent is obligated to do with regard to the minor children. 

In Missouri, there are two types of custody, physcial custody and legal custody. Physical custody can either be vested solely in one parent or jointly in both parents. Legal custody can also be either sole or joint, and has to do with who has the legal authority to make decisions regarding the health and welfare of the child. When making a custody determination, a judge awards custody in a manner that is in the best interests of the child. If sole custody is given to one parent, the other parent in almost all cases still has visitation rights. The court can impose conditions on the visititation such as it must be supervised by a third party. Custody litigation can become surprisingly technical, especially where prior custody orders have already been put into place. If you are seeking custody of a child or wish to modify prior custody orders, call the experienced child custody lawyers at Anderson Henderson today for a free consultation. We will explain the process to you and what it will take to accomplish your goals.