Child Custody & Child Support

On behalf of Morna Challoner of Challoner Law posted in Child Custody & Child Support on Saturday, July 1, 2017. When a child is born to unmarried parents in California who are no longer in a relationship, it may be necessary to establish paternity of the child. Doing so formally and legally establishes who the child's biological parents are. This allows the child's custodial parent seek child support, and it also allows the child's non-custodial parent to pursue visitation rights if he or she so chooses. There are many good reasons to establish paternity of a child. The child benefits emotionally from simply knowing who his or her mother and father are. It also gives the child the same rights that children of married parents have. For example, establishing paternity makes it possible for the child to be supported financially by each of his or her parents. Once paternity is established, each parent's name can appear on the child's birth certificate. The child will also have access to important information about his or her family health history. Establishing paternity also gives a child inheritance rights, and the right to be included on either parent's health insurance policy or life insurance policy. Finally, establishing paternity allows the child to obtain veteran's benefits or Social Security benefits if appropriate. In the end, once a court establishes paternity, it can order the non-custodial parent to pay child support. Also, once a court establishes paternity, the non-custodial parent can seek visitation with the child. The child's name can be changed to reflect the paternity establishment if the parties want. It is an important step for unmarried parents to take. Unmarried parents in California who have questions about paternity can seek the advice of a family law attorney.

On behalf of Morna Challoner of Challoner Law posted in Child Custody & Child Support on Friday, July 21, 2017. California parents want nothing more than for their child to be happy and thriving. It is possible to parent efficiently, even if you and your child's other parent are no longer in a relationship with one another. The child custody arrangement may have outlined details about custody, but how do you stay sane when your kids are out of school for the summer? Just like any other kid out of school for summer break, the summer sports, activities and playdates seem to never end. Figuring out how to align your schedule with your child's schedule and your child's other parent's schedule is the real challenge. The first thing to consider is your child's wishes, especially when your child is old enough to communicate those. You may need to formulate a plan that is more detailed than the original child custody order. For example, you may need to decide on exact pick up and drop off times and locations, to ensure you and your child's other parent are on the same page. Also, it's not a bad idea to give the child's other parent a copy of your child's schedule, just in case you or the other parent has an emergency and cannot be at a certain place at a certain time. But beyond emergency situations, it's important to stick to the schedule as much as possible to ensure a stress-free experience for both you, your child and your child's other parent. That goes along with not dropping last minute demands on your child's parent. Naturally, things will come up, but avoiding this behavior as much as possible is best for everyone. Remember to make plans for yourself, especially when your kid is under [...]