Parenting time and child support
A schedule your children can actually live with
Children don't think in legal terms. They think in school mornings, practices, dinners and which house has the charger. A good plan is written the way their week really runs, with room for a sick day, a snow day and a summer trip.
Child support follows its own rules. I'll show you how it is figured, what counts as income, and what can change it later, so the number never comes as a surprise.
What a plan covers
What gets written down
Weekdays and weekends
Which nights each home has the children, and who handles school mornings and pickups.
Holidays and school breaks
Who has the children on each holiday, birthdays included, so there is no negotiating in December.
Big decisions
How you will decide about schools, doctors and activities, and what happens if you disagree.
Support and expenses
The monthly amount, plus how you will share health costs, child care and school fees.
Parents ask
Questions about children, schedules and support
Who decides where the children live?
When parents agree, the court usually approves their plan. When they don't, a judge decides based on what is best for the children. I'll explain what judges look at and how to show it.
Can the schedule change later?
Yes. Children grow and jobs change. A plan can be changed by agreement or, if you can't agree, by asking the court. Good plans say how changes will be made.
How is child support figured?
Usually from both parents' incomes and how much time the children spend in each home, with adjustments for costs such as health insurance and child care. I'll run the numbers with you.
What if the other parent isn't paying support?
There are ways to ask the court to enforce an order. Bring your records of what was due and what was paid, and we'll look at the options.
Do my children have to talk to the judge?
Often not. Whether a child is heard depends on age and on the court. I'll tell you what is likely in your situation and how to protect your child from being put in the middle.
Put the children’s week on paper first
Call or write, and Rosalie will tell you where to begin.