To view this, you need to install the Flash Player 5. Please go to here and download it.
Family and divorce laws exist to govern the proceedings for couples who wish to terminate their marriages and to make the process as smooth and equitable as possible. In cases in which a couple who separate have children, child custody and child support laws help ensure that the children’s best interests are protected and that the responsibilities and privileges of child-rearing are divided between parents.The child custody and child support attorneys at Mako & Associates have helped many parents in Wilmington, North Carolina and throughout New Hanover County reach fair resolutions to their disputes, and our child custody and child support lawyers can help ensure that your rights and your child’s rights are protected throughout the separation/divorce proceedings.
Child custody can be awarded to one or both parents after a separation/divorce. In rare cases in which sole custody is awarded, only one parent is given physical and legal custody of the children. Physical custody refers to where the children will live, and legal custody refers to the decisions that are made concerning the child’s upbringing in educational, health, religious, and other matters.
In cases in which joint custody is awarded, parents may share physical custody, legal custody, or both. If physical custody is shared between parents after a divorce, then children will live with one parent more than the other, with the other parent having visitation. Parents with joint legal custody of children will make decisions together regarding their children’s lifestyles even though the parents live apart.
Visitation rights are often granted to the parent who does not have primary physical custody of the children. Reasonable visitation refers to a flexible schedule that is worked out by both parents or the courts and can change according to meet both of their needs. The parent with primary physical custody has the final decisions regarding when visitation can occur. If the parents can not agre, then the court may impose a fixed visitation schedule such as every other weekend.
Our child custody lawyers will fight on your behalf to ensure that you are awarded the custodial or visitation rights that you deserve. Courts consider many different factors in determining which parent is awarded child custody, including the child’s relationship to both parents, but the polar star is what is in the child's best interest. Our child custody lawyers can guide you through this process and can help ensure that your and your child’s best interests are protected. Contact the child custody and lawyers at Mako & Associates to schedule a thorough review of your case.
Usually the parent who is not awarded physical custody of children is required to make regular payments to the other parent. Child support helps to cover such common expenses as food, clothing, healthcare, and education. The amount of the child support payments is determined by how much each parent makes, the cost to care for the children, and the lifestyle that the children were accustomed to before the divorce.
In rare cases in which parents have shared custody of children, child support payments may not be required. The court will examine income levels, expenses, and the amount of time that each parent spends with the children in determining whether monetary child support payments are owed.
Our child support and child custody attorneys can help you understand all child custody and child support laws relating to your case.
Our child custody and child support attorneys are lawyers who serve individuals from Wilmington, New Hanover County and Pender and Brunswick Counties. The attorneys and lawyers at our practice can also work outside of court to advise and prepare Separation Agreements and/or Parenting Agreements which are legal contracts protecting the rights of you and your child regarding Child Custody and Support issues.
Mako & Associates, P.A.
3208 Oleander Drive
Wilmington, North Carolina 28403
Phone: (910) 338-0300