When you’re going through the divorce process and managing the child support and custody issues, you’ll hear the term “best interests of the child.” Generally, the court will consider the new family lifestyle after a divorce and where the court feels the child will best be able to adapt to the new changes. It is possible for you and your spouse to ease into your new family dynamic in order to make the transition easier on your child.
Amicable Relationship
In order for you and your spouse to best help your child through the divorce process, they should maintain an amicable relationship. While that may not be easy, especially at first, this is beneficial in helping your child’s transition into this new way of life. It’s best to avoid contentious debates about visitation, child support, visitation and other child-rearing issues.
What The Court Considers
When the court is considering issues regarding custody and support, they make the final determination as to who will pay support and how much is paid. There are certain factors that come into play when making this determination.
First, the court will look at the income of each parent before deciding if child support is needed. Important pieces of information that the court needs when making this determination include the expenses incurred to provide the basic necessities of food, clothing and shelter.
If there are other extenuating circumstances regarding the rearing of the child, such as educational costs or medical expenses, the court considers those as well. All issues regarding the child should be brought to the court during the divorce process.
Achieving an Amicable Solution
Many times, reaching a solution that you can both agree on depends on the skills of an experienced divorce & family law attorney. It takes both skill in negotiation and a desire to make sure the needs and wants of their client are met in order to reach an amicable solution. Experienced attorneys manage divorce issues every day, but usually, our clients only see them once in their lifetime.
Call our law office if you have questions about the divorce process or any family law matter concerning the best interest of your child.