Child custody in Minnesota is a sensitive topic, and the best interests of the children are paramount. Under Minnesota Statute 518.17, the family law system assesses 12 different factors when identifying a child’s best interests.

Child Support modifications may seem simple, but there are several factors that the court will consider, and it’s not as easy as telling the court that your circumstances have changed. The person requesting the modification will need to demonstrate a need for such a change as well as the Obligor’s ability to pay.

The court will modify custody arrangements if one party is “consistent and willful” in preventing the other’s party’s parenting time or visitation. The court may also modify custody if it has “reason to believe that the child’s present environment may endanger the child’s physical or emotional health or impair the child’s emotional development.” If there are concerns about the safety of the child, or parties are not following the schedule set out in the order, the court may hear the case regardless of when it is brought up.