Going through a divorce or custody dispute is hard enough as it is. You want to make sure your children end up in the best possible situation, and hiring the right child custody lawyer can help with that.
Do Not Do It Alone
While filing for custody without a lawyer may seem like the cheapest option, hiring a child custody lawyer will help you in the long run.
If you were to forgo legal help, you would now have to go through each step of the process as carefully as a lawyer would.
First, you would have to get in contact with a court clerk who would then give you all of the required paperwork to fill out. Not only is this time-consuming but there may be a lot of legal terms that you do not understand.
It is important that you become an expert on the child custody laws in your state. This would require plenty of research and learn on your part.
When doing this research, you need to consider all custody options, and there are a lot of them. While split custody or full custody may seem pretty straightforward, within these options lie many different time-sharing schedules.
If you feel that the custody dispute will not be a clean process, it is extremely important that you keep detailed records of everything that goes on within your life and your child’s life. These records can include phone calls, emails, text messages, and even spoken words.
A child custody lawyer can help you to sort through these records to find out what information will be beneficial to your case.
While you are simultaneously doing all of these things, you need to keep an eye on deadlines. Deadlines are unforgiving and missing one could be detrimental to your case.
When To Seek Legal Help
Choosing the right time to seek help from an outside party has many factors that go into the decision.
Hiring a child custody lawyer can be urgent if you believe your children are in danger. Calling 9-1-1 should be your first move and after that, a child custody lawyer can give you advice on the next steps, including the possibility of filing a restraining order.
In situations where your child’s other parent is not letting you see your child, either by dodging your calls or not telling you where they are, you should be quick to seek help from a lawyer.
If you have been ordered by a court to participate in parenting classes or substance abuse treatment, you are already at a disadvantage in the court. Your child’s other parent can use this as leverage against you, meaning you will need a qualified lawyer to represent you.
If whomever you are going against in your child custody case has a lawyer, it is a good idea to hire one yourself. Failure to hire a lawyer on your side will leave you less prepared than the other side.
If your case is getting more complicated, hiring a lawyer should be your number one priority. For example, if you and your ex were on the same page at first but now one of you has changed your mind, legal counsel will be necessary to reach a decision.
There is no perfect time to hire an attorney for child custody but a good rule of thumb is that if you have been contemplating it, you should act on it.
Child Support
If you have reached a situation where one parent has sole custody, both parents are required to provide for the child financially. This can occur for both parents that have been married and parents that have not.
If the parents were married, child support is typically decided during divorce proceedings. If they have not been married, child support will be decided by a court on its own.
In some states, formulas exist to decide upon a monetary amount of child support. In states where these formulas do not exist, it is up to the parents and the court to settle on an amount.
A parent’s income, debts, and the needs of the child are the biggest factors in determining child support. Seeking help from a child support law firm will be beneficial for the child.
Calculation of a parent’s disposable income can be contested in a number of ways. Child support law firms have experience in many different family situations and can help to determine an accurate amount.
If you are the parent that is being ordered to pay child support, hiring a child support law firm will help to make sure that the order is not taking too much money.
If you are the parent with sole custody, a child support law firm will work to ensure that your child is being provided for sufficiently.
The Best for Your Child
Working with a third party during a custody case will not only benefit you but also your child.
No matter the age of your child, it is important that they do not have to experience this process in their home. You should try to keep your child out of the situation as much as possible while keeping their best interests at heart.
Meeting with your child custody lawyer and the child’s other parent in a neutral location should always be considered. Your child does not have to sit through, see, and hear these meetings taking place.
Although it may be hard, try not to bring your frustrations home or voice them to your child. What happens between you and your ex-partner should not affect your child’s view of them. This can negatively affect your child’s relationship with their parent, which will affect them in the long run.
Having Someone On Your Side
Separations, divorces, and child custody cases can leave you feeling alone. When you hire a child custody lawyer, you will have someone to back you up.
They can help you to make sense of things while taking a few tasks off your plate, allowing you to spend more time with your child.
