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Family Law

Custody After Divorce: What to Do to be Awarded One

When divorced parents separate, some important decisions must be made regarding the custody of their children. These often relate to: where the children will live with both parents and which parent will have primary responsibility for their health and welfare; and who will be responsible for making decisions about their day-to-day care, their education, and the way in which they are raised.

The first thing that must be considered when determining child custody after a divorce is what type of custody will be awarded. If the two parents can agree on the location of the child’s daily care, they can go that route. If the child lives in one parent’s home and the other parent resides elsewhere, the court will decide who gets primary responsibility for the child’s care.

Another consideration when it comes to custody of children after divorce is who has greater custodial rights. In some cases, the court can award joint legal and physical custody of the child. However, if one parent is unfit or abusive, this can be considered an abuse of the child’s rights.

Child support is another area of custody law that frequently arises during divorce proceedings. Parents may not want to stop paying child support after the divorce is finalized. In fact, many people choose to continue their monthly payments even if the couple divorces. If one parent wants to end that obligation, the courts will usually allow them to do so. However, the court will typically set a cap on the amount of child support payments that can be paid per month.

A custodial agreement for children is also an issue that is often resolved between the parents when divorce proceedings are underway. In this type of agreement, the parents of the child will outline their responsibilities and obligations concerning the child’s daily living. They will often include provisions such as how the child will go to school, what medical and dental care services will be provided, and what religious and social activities the child will be allowed to participate in. The agreement will also explain how the parents will handle any other financial responsibilities that are involved.

In many cases, both parents are required to pay child support in some form. The court will order a temporary support payment until the child support payments can be discontinued by the parties involved, said arizonafamilylawyers.org.