Services

Child Support:

Even if the parents are not married at the time when the child is born, both parents should be financially, physically, and emotionally responsible for the child.  That is the law!  It is important to remember that child support will not be awarded magically, just because the child is born.  The parent seeking child support must be proactive and petition for child support payments thought the court.  Also, many parents believe that child support covers every aspect of the child's upbringing, which is untrue.  We make sure to educate our clients on what child support stands for.  The custodial parent may be eligible for financial contribution towards other out of pocket expenses for the child including but not limited to: school expenses, health expenses, extracurricular activities and more.  We are happy to assist you and evaluate your case to give you a better understanding of what you and your child are entitled to. 

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Child Custody / Visitation:

Stability is something every child needs.  Whether the child is adjusting from having his/her parents married to having two separate households, or the child's parents were never married.  Stability, following the same and consistent visitation schedule, and being on the same page with the other parent, is essential for every child.  For the child to develop and adjust to the life with split parents, both parents need to work on having a set visitation schedule, so the child is not bouncing around the parents' households randomly, and also the parents can plan their lives according to the schedule to minimize conflicts between themselves.  Therefore, it is so important to have a parenting plan in place that is either agreed upon by the parties, or entered by the Judge. 

Additionally, it is important to have a custody (decision making power) arrangement in place.  Whether it is joint custody or sole custody, both parties must be on the same page and make sure to maintain the status quo with the minor child.  Feeding your child conflicting upbringing ideologies may cause confusion and disrupt the needed stability for the child.  If the parents are unable to co-parent and it is in the child's best interest to have one parent make all the decision regarding the child, it is crucial that the parent making decisions informs the other parent of their decisions.  Otherwise, both parents must communicate together and ensure that their individual upbringing are in sync with each other. 

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Paternal rights:

One of the most common issues we encounter in unmarried parents who do not live together and/or are no longer involved in a relationship, is the child's mother's failure to co-parent with the child's father and not including them in decision making power regarding the child.  Even if the father is the biological father of the child, if the parents were not married at the time when the child was born, the father does not have legal standing to seek visitation and decision making power over his child.  It is the father's responsibility to establish paternity, and that is usually done through the court.  Many fathers don't understand their legal rights and allow the mothers to control their relationship with their child from an early age, which causes great damage to the father's and child's relationship.  From the first moment the child is born, the father should be involved in their lives.  Even if it is for a few minutes, and even if it is at the mother's house.  It is so important to take the necessary steps and ensure that the father has legal rights over the child before it's too late and too much irreparable damage has been done.