Child Custody & Support
| Child Support in Shared Custody Cases |
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| Most child support guidelines present a formula for calculating child support where the parents share custody of the child or children. More... |
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| Emergency Modification of Child Custody Awards |
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| When an emergency arises, courts in any State have the power to enter a temporary order of custody under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. Under the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act, the court in the state where the child lives has primary and continuing jurisdiction over the custody of a child, and it may issue a permanent change in custody, whether or not there is an emergency. More... |
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| Termination of Visitation Rights |
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| Only in very rare situations will a court terminate a parent's rights of visitation. The standard used by courts in reaching the decision to terminate visitation is whether visitation would endanger the child. In most cases, the decision is in the discretion of the court. More... |
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| Child Support Recovery Act |
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| The Child Support Recovery Act, well known as the "deadbeat-dad" law, makes it a federal crime to flee a state in order to avoid paying child support arrearages. The law applies to any parent who owes more than $5,000 in back child support payments or who has failed to pay on the arrearage due for more than one year.
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| Former Stepparent Visitation Rights |
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| A stepparent is considered a legal stranger to a child and is not automatically entitled to visitation rights. However, where a close relationship between the child and the stepparent has been established, a court will consider granting rights of visitation and in some case, stepparents have been awarded legal custody. More... |
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