The holidays are certainly not the time when people want to think about family law matters. However, it is often a time when these issues are front and center. Those in Texas and elsewhere who are seeking a divorce or who are already divorced need to consider how best to develop a working child custody plan. In addition to establishing a workable custody schedule, divorced parents often need to work out any financial issues that relate to the child or children involved. When custody is determined, divorced parents will often work out a child support arrangement as well.
In general, divorced parents with joint custody can reach an agreement on their own regarding child support. However, unlike situations in which one parent has primary possession of the child or children, determining support in a joint custody arrangement can be complex. This is because there is the presumption that both parents will share costs. Unlike previous decades, there isn’t the presumption that the mother will receive child support to raise the child these days.
In an era when both parents are likely working and earning a decent income, it is often the case that parents will split the costs associated with raising a child evenly. However, costs are not the same for each child, and one parent may be able to afford certain things that the other parent cannot. In these matters, it may be appropriate to obtain child support. If divorced parents cannot negotiate this amount on their own, it is still possible to go to court to establish a child support amount.
Dealing with financial issues is not enjoyable, but it is often necessary following a divorce. No matter the custody arrangement divorced parents reach following dissolution, it is important to consider what rights one might have to recover child support to ensure the child in question is cared for.