FAMILY ISSUES

We help you establish a custody arrangement that is fair to you and to make sure your children grow up in a stable and nurturing environment. 

Child custody may be agreed upon by the parents through negotiation, or it may be decided by a court.  In the event the parties are unable to reach agreement on a custodial arrangement, the court will generally appoint an attorney for the children. If the parties remain unable to decide on the best custodial arrangement for the family, counsel may seek psychological evaluation (forensics) of the parties. 

  If you are awarded sole or primary custody, we will help you get the child support payments from the monied spouse. If you are the parent paying child support, we will help make sure the payments are fair and reasonable.

Child support is an amount that the non-custodial parent pays to the custodial parent for the care, maintenance and education of the parties' un-emancipated Children under the age of 21. The amount of child support is determined either by a court order or an agreement between the parties. Generally, children are emancipated at the age of 21, however, a minor child may also become emancipated upon marriage, enlistment in the armed services, or by becoming self-supporting.

 We represent dependent spouses in need of spousal support in order to continue to live comfortably, as well as supporting spouses who want to avoid paying alimony or pay only what’s absolutely necessary.

Spousal maintenance (also known as alimony or spousal support) refers to payments made from one spouse to the other that are established in certain amounts generally based on ability to pay and the standard of living of the parties established during the marriage. Spousal maintenance may be set in a binding agreement between the parties—such as a marital stipulation, separation agreement, prenuptial or post nuptial agreement—or awarded by the court. Payments may be required for a specific duration or when the parties are older and have a long marriage, for the spouse’s lifetime. Generally, spousal maintenance is terminated upon the death of either party or upon the spouse receiving the maintenance getting remarried or cohabitating with another partner and holding him or herself out as husband and wife.

When you enter into a stipulation of settlement in your divorce or separation agreement, the Agreement and Order will provide the terms pertaining to:

• Child support
• Child custody
• Visitation
• Spousal maintenance
• Property division
• Medical Insurance coverage (Co-payments, out-of-pocket, dental, hospital)
• College

Should your ex-spouse violate the Agreement as ordered by the Court, we can help you to enforce the Agreement, fight for your rights and get your spouse to comply with the terms of the Agreement.  We understand that you are frustrated and upset that your spouse may not be complying with a stipulation of settlement and you may be reluctant to go back to Court.  We can stand up for your rights and navigate through the court process.

Once a child support or spousal maintenance order or agreement is in place, the payment amount may be increased or decreased under certain circumstances. Courts will require a substantial and significant change in circumstances to consider granting a modification of child support or spousal maintenance obligations.

These substantial changes to either you or you ex-spouse may include:

• Receiving a substantial raise at work
• Losing a job or having a substantial increase or reduction in pay
• Coming into a sizable inheritance
• Getting remarried
• The paying parent’s illness or disability

These substantial changes to your child may include:

• A change in the child’s residence from the non-paying parent to the paying parent
• Going to a new school
• A medical condition that requires additional care

To get a modification you will need an experienced attorney to evaluate your options and determine the best way to proceed.  You will need the Court to issue an official order modifying the payments.  We will try to work out a new payment amount with your ex-spouse.  If an agreement can be reached, we can take the agreement to the Court and request a new order.