Child Custody & Support
| Joint Legal Custody Awards |
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| "Joint legal custody" means that both parents share the right and the responsibility to make the decisions relating to the health, education, and welfare of a child. More... |
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| Child Support Guidelines |
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| Federal law requires each state to adopt some form of child support guidelines. Courts in each state are required to follow the guidelines in establishing child support obligations. More... |
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| Attachments in Child Support Actions |
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| Courts may use the legal process of attachment to separate property, whether real or personal and place it under the control of the court when the owner of the property fails to comply with his or her child support obligation. In some circumstances it may also be used to bring a person before the court, compel an appearance, or arrest a fund in the hands of a third person who may be liable to pay it over to the court. More... |
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| Putative Father's Right to Visitation |
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| Parents have a natural right to the companionship of their children. In order to experience that companionship, parents and children must have time to be together. This is generally a non-legal issue. When the child's parents are not married, the child's father is called the putative father because he is reputed to be the father of the child. A putative father may also be known as the child's natural father or biological father. To be the child's legal father, the putative father must prove his paternity before a court. The proof could be a paternity test result or acknowledgment of the child as required by statute. Once paternity is acknowledged the father has a right to visitation with his child, so long as it is in the child's best interests. More... |
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| Modification of Custody based on Parental Financial Resources |
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| Both parents are required to contribute toward the support of a child. The amount of support is based on the income of the parents, with adjustments for certain other obligations such as day care or extraordinary health expenses. For the most part, courts do not consider modifying custody based solely on a parent's financial resources, but such resources may be a factor where a change in circumstances can be shown. More... |
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