South Dakota Custody Orders

The determination of which parent will have custody of a child (or children) is a critical decision. Laughlin Law has experience in cases where custody needs to be established and in cases that involve a party seeking to modify an existing custody order.​

Joint Custody and Sole Custody

In some cases the parents will agree to a joint custody arrangement.  There are also many cases in which one parent believes there are compelling reasons that they should have sole custody of the child.  There are certain factors in South Dakota that are examined by a court in determining which party should have custody.​

Child Custody Home Study

If the parties cannot agree on a custody arrangement a court will sometimes order a home study.  A home study is a report created by a professional evaluation the different custody options.  

CHALLENGING Custody Order

After an order is entered by the court or stipulated to by the parties the order can be challenged in the future.  Custody is modifiable if the circumstances in a case have changed.