Child Custody and Child Support Attorney In New Jersey
Custody issues can create complex legal and emotional issues during and after a divorce. A skilled New Jersey child custody lawyer can help protect your parental rights to help maintain your relationship with your child. Also, an experienced child support attorney can help discuss what’s fair for payments to benefit your child. Family law attorneys can help with both child custody and child support matters.
At Ford Brown Law, a reliable family law attorney can provide dependable legal advice about child custody and child support issues in New Jersey specific to your individual situation. Contact our office to discuss your important family law questions and to set up an initial client consultation.
New Jersey Child Custody
Child custody means more than just where a child lives. A court usually determines physical custody and legal custody.
Physical custody refers to where the child lives physically – it’s the parental address that’s used for healthcare records and school registration. If you have physical custody of a child, they may live with you full-time, half-time, or some other arrangement. The parent who doesn’t have physical custody receives visitation rights, which is typically called ‘parenting time’ by the courts in New Jersey.
On the other hand, legal custody refers to the ability to make important decisions in your child’s life, like their education, religious upbringing, extracurricular activities, medical care, and more.
Unless there is a reason not to, New Jersey courts typically award both parents legal custody in a joint capacity. Previously, courts typically awarded primary custody to the child’s mother, but now courts usually award joint custody or substantial parenting time.
In New Jersey, it is required that children have frequent and ongoing contact with both parents, which encourages shared custody agreements – unless it is not in the best interest of the child or if one parent is considered unfit.
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Child Custody Decisions in the Court
The court examines the best interests of the child when formalizing a child custody arrangement. There are several factors the court considers, as well as other evidence, such as:
- Where the parents live
- The ages of their children
- The ability and willingness of each parent to reach agreements for co-parenting
- Whether there is any history of domestic abuse
- Whether the parents support their children’s relationship with the other parent, as courts do not support keeping a child away from one parent when there haven’t been any prior issues of neglect or abuse
- Work schedules
- Transportation availability
- Health or educational needs
A court typically considers whether one parent is better suited to help address a child’s needs. If a child has a strongly expressed preference for one parent and they are old enough and mature enough to provide their opinion, that might be considered.
Yet, the court always makes a final decision about child custody based on the best interest of the child after examining the previously mentioned factors.
Understanding Child Support in New Jersey
A child residing in New Jersey is entitled by law to financial support, which is typically called child support. In New Jersey, the mandatory child support provided to a child belongs to them and cannot simply be waived by their parent (but they can allocate the amount between the parents).
Parents can negotiate the final amount awarded in support, but New Jersey has a specific formula to determine the amount that’s appropriate for paying towards child support – called the Child Support Guidelines. Child support is supposed to make sure your children are able to lead healthy and stable lives – regardless of the parent they are living with at a given time.
Either parent might be required to pay child support payments to the other child’s parent. The non-custodial parent often pays support to the parent the child mostly lives with. If they share custody, the parent with a higher income typically pays support to the other parent earning less income. The Child Support Guidelines account for:
- Differences in the incomes of each parent
- How many total children each parent financially supports
- The amount of time the child spends with each parent
Many child support agreements do not exactly reflect the formula provided in the Child Support Guidelines because there is room to negotiate the payment amounts if one parent provides additional financial support for unique situations. Even when parents agree on an amount of child support, a New Jersey judge reviews a negotiated amount to ensure it’s in the best interest of the child – the crucial factor for the court.
Determining and negotiating child support payments can become complicated and contentious and is often one of the more difficult aspects of dissolving a marriage. A skilled attorney can help ensure your preferred custody arrangement is considered and demonstrate how your ideal child support proposal ensures your child’s best interest is safeguarded.
If you need help getting child support or if a proposed child support plan seems excessive, it’s important to consult a trusted attorney for crucial guidance. For child custody, parenting time, and child support decisions, a sympathetic legal advocate with experience helping other clients through comparable situations can help.
Reasons to Hire an Experienced New Jersey Child Custody and Child Support Attorney
A seasoned child custody and child support attorney can help build a strong case to protect your legal interests. An attorney can:
- Explain the New Jersey laws
- Protect your legal rights
- Navigate complicated family law procedures
- Help prepare paperwork
- Provide emotional support for you during a potentially overwhelming situation
- Help you get the most positive outcome and explain any resolution option you are considering
An attorney can provide invaluable support throughout your family law matter. Talk to a knowledgeable attorney right away.
Contact Ford Brown Law to Discuss New Jersey Child Custody and Child Support
An experienced New Jersey child custody and child support attorney can use their legal background and extensive experience to defend your rights and support your goals.
Ford Brown Law can vigorously represent your interests. We practice statewide and offer flexible payments and pricing – plus, we have flat rates for à la carte client services. Speak with an attorney at a dedicated, black woman-owned law firm about how we can help your family.
Contact our office today to discuss your child custody and child support options.
