A child custody lawyer can help you with a wide range of legal issues that impact your relationship with your children. This includes determining custody (legal and physical), child visitation, and child support.
Custody and child support decisions can have long-lasting effects on your children’s lives. It’s important to choose the right attorney who can advocate for your rights and help protect you from the wrong choices.
Child Custody
A child custody lawyer helps parents gain custody of their children when they are divorcing. They also help with modifying existing custody orders. There are two kinds of custody – legal and physical (further divided into sole and joint physical custody). The court decides which parent has the right to make decisions about a child’s health, education, or welfare.
When one parent is seen as a danger to the child’s health or safety, this may lead to sole physical custody being awarded to that parent. However, even in this case the other parent gets visitation rights, and often a substantial amount of time with the child.
Visitation
In child custody and visitation cases, there are many factors to consider. A child custody lawyer can help you decide on a custody arrangement that fits your family’s needs.
When it comes to child visitation, your lawyer can help you determine a schedule that works for both you and your ex-spouse. This can include alternating weekend parenting time, weekday parenting time, and a division of holidays, school breaks, and summer vacation.
Child Support
Child support is a legal obligation in which one parent pays money to the other for the care of a child. This money is used to cover expenses such as food, clothing, health care, and educational needs. The amount of child support varies. It is based on the income of both parents and the number of children involved.
However, there are also situations where child support can be modified based on legitimate grounds. For example, if you are the custodial parent and your ex-partner is earning significantly more than before the divorce, you may want to file a modification petition with the court to increase your payment plan.
Legal Advice
Whether you are going through a divorce or you’re trying to modify your child custody agreement, you need an experienced lawyer. The court system is a shaky place, and you need a strong advocate to protect your rights.
A good attorney can make the process less stressful for you. They will help you understand the law and the legal processes involved in your situation, and they will fight to get the best possible outcome for you and your family.
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