What is visitation?
If a parent does not have custody rights, there might still be the possibility for visitation rights. This is when the parent is granted time to visit the child. The courts will decide this based off the best interest of the child. Sometimes supervised visitation is granted if the court sees fit.
What is paternity?
Paternity refers to the process by which a child’s biological father becomes the legal father. When unmarried parents have a baby, the father is not automatically recognized as the father legally so extra steps must be taken to establish this.
Will I receive child support if I have custody?
There are a variety of factors that influence the courts to order child support. This could include how much custody you have of the child, but it also includes both parents’ income, who pays for health insurance and childcare, other expenses, how many children there are, etc.
Who pays child support when the parents share custody?
Again, this depends on a variety of factors including income, insurance costs, number of children, etc.
Can I control visitation rights if my ex-spouse doesn’t pay the child support I’m entitled to?
You should not use visitation rights as leverage against your ex-spouse even if he or she does not pay the required child support. Since these are two separate orders given by the court (or agreed upon outside of the court), you do not want to violate your own court order (visitation) to get child support. Instead, you should bring the appropriate motion before the court to obtain the required child support.
Can I modify child custody orders?
Modification of custody orders requires a court order. You can make an appeal for modification if the circumstances have significantly changed regarding the child since the last order was made. A change in custody must be in the best interest of the child.