For the sake of the kids, it’s always preferable to resolve child custody issues amicably. You may find that many issues are resolvable through compromise when both parents prioritize the best interests of the children. Unfortunately, achieving mutual agreements isn’t always possible. If divorce mediation fails to resolve the dispute, a judge, like those found in Baltimore Countymust resolve the child custody case. Your divorce lawyer is likely to advise you to avoid involving your child in the dispute as much as possible.

Discussing the Divorce

Avoid discussing the divorce with your kids until you are certain that it will go forward. If possible, it may be a good idea for both parents to sit down with the kids to explain that they are going to live apart from now on. Use age-appropriate language to tell the kids that although both parents still love the kids very much, they’re not going to be married any longer. Depending on the children’s ages, they may ask which parent they will live with. Since the child custody case hasn’t been resolved yet, you can simply tell them that they will still be spending plenty of time with each of you and that neither parent will “disappear” from their lives.

Explaining the Custody Evaluation

In contested child custody cases, the judge may order that a child custody evaluation be completed. A court evaluator is a neutral third-party who will interview both of the parents, the children, and perhaps other parties such as teachers, counselors, and other family members. The court evaluator may visit each parent’s home. Parents are advised never to prepare kids to answer questions in a certain way. Rather, the kids may be told that the evaluator is trying to help the parents work through their issues and that the kids should answer any questions honestly.

Encouraging Open and Ongoing Communication

During a child custody dispute, kids may feel confused, anxious, and isolated. They may worry that the divorce is somehow their fault. It’s crucial to encourage your kids to discuss their worries and concerns. Listen to them without judgment. Reassure them that although you may not have all the answers right now, you will always love them and the situation will get better.

As stressful as divorce can be on spouses, it’s even more challenging for children. Kids of any age can suffer psychological problems before, during, and long after a divorce. However, there are some steps you can take to mitigate the adverse effects of a child custody case litigated near Pikesville. In fact, some of these recommendations may even be mandated by the child custody order, such as the avoidance of disparaging the other parent in front of the child.

Avoid Using Your Child as a Messenger

Even in an uncontested divorce, children can suffer significant psychological harm if they are made to be active participants in the logistics of child custody arrangements. Parents who wish to avoid communicating with each other may instead ask the child to serve as a messenger. It may seem relatively benign to ask a child to tell one parent that the other will be a little late picking up the child. But doing so sends a subtle message to the child that the parents are incapable of communicating with each other. It also exposes the child to the potentially negative emotional response of the parent who receives the message.

Avoid Cutting Off Communication With the Other Parent

Talk to your family lawyer about including communication provisions in the child custody agreement. The document should include an arrangement for ongoing, regular communication between parents, as well as emergency contact information. While your ex-spouse may be the last person you want to talk with, cutting off communication or communicating through intermediaries is a grave mistake. For instance, it means that you may not discover that your child is struggling in school until the report card arrives or that you might not learn new medical information regarding your child.

Avoid Making Your Child Choose Sides

Parents may not directly inform a child that he or she must choose which parent he or she prefers, but even doing so indirectly can be irreparably harmful to the child. For example, avoid telling your child that he or she can pick which parent to spend a holiday with. Avoid disparaging the other parent in front of the child or asking your child to report on the goings-on at the other parent’s home. Above all, remember to put your child’s best interests ahead of your own.

A divorce lawyer can help you handle complex child custody issues in Owings Mills , or anywhere in the Baltimore metro region, particularly when you are going through a contentious divorce. Whether you have a formal court order outlining your child custody agreement, or just a verbal agreement with your ex-spouse regarding child custody, there is no guarantee that your ex will adhere to the arrangement. Here are some of your options for enforcing child custody decisions.

What to Do When Your Ex Prevents Visitation

If you have a formal child custody order through the court, you and your ex-spouse are required to follow it to the letter. If your ex denies you visitation with your child on a day or date that you were awarded visitation through a child custody order, you may pursue legal remedies. If the situation occurs repeatedly, you should consult your family law attorney as soon as possible. He may need to send your ex-spouse a formal letter, or file a hearing request with the court. Some courts require partners to attend divorce mediation prior to scheduling a child custody hearing.

When You Should Call the Police

You should only involve the police in child custody issues if you fear for your child’s safety or welfare. You should not contact the police if your ex-spouse refuses visitation, or is late dropping your child off after visitation. You should contact the police if you suspect that your child is being abused, or if you believe your ex-spouse is not providing a safe environment for your child. You should also contact the police if you believe that your ex-spouse has taken your child out of the state or country without your permission.

When You Should Modify a Child Custody Order

A child custody order can be modified if one parent’s circumstances change, and the parent requests more or less visitation time with the child. This will almost always result in a modified child support order as well. You must also modify a child custody order if a parent plans on moving out of the state or country.

One of the benefits of hiring a family attorney near Owings Mills is that he or she can provide legal guidance when you experience a problem with child custody or support. If your ex-spouse fails to make timely child support payments, your divorce lawyer can explain your legal options. These options do not include denying visitation to your ex-spouse. Visitation and child support are two completely separate issues. Only a court order can modify a child support arrangement .

Under most circumstances, children need ongoing access to both parents, regardless of whatever disputes may arise between the parents. Child support is not dependent upon the amount of time spent with either parent. For example, if a child spends a few weeks with the non-custodial parent during the summer, the non-custodial parent is still responsible for paying child support during those weeks. If you to attempt to reduce or deny visitation because of late child support, your ex-spouse may hire a family law attorney. The divorce lawyer can file a petition with the court to request that visitation rights be enforced.

Child support is one of the many issues that must be resolved during divorce. Child custody laws require you to pay child support if you are the non-custodial parent. The amount of child support you must pay depends on many factors, including your state’s guidelines, the income of both parents, childcare needs, and medical expenses. For personalized guidance, you should contact a child custody lawyer serving Baltimore County and Owings Mills.

You can also watch this video for general information about child support after a divorce or legal separation. It explains that your family lawyer may instruct you to add any alimony you receive or subtract any alimony you pay when calculating your net annual income. Other factors that may influence the amount of child support include whether you currently pay child support for other children.