Hiring a divorce lawyer is one of the most stressful and emotional situations an individual can endure. When children are involved, it makes the situation significantly more dramatic.
As divorce and family law attorneys, we are constantly asked questions about child support and child custody laws.
We also have many clients who are not sure how child support and child custody differ from each other.
In this article, we will provide details about both and how oftentimes, couples filing for divorce with children will have to answer questions surrounding both.
In short, child custody is the process of determining which parent can have rights to a child after a divorce.
When an individual files for child custody they are requesting to have physical possession of their child after their divorce. As long as the custodial parent has the majority of rights over a minor child, they are entitled to that custody.
Child support is based on the actual needs of a child and varies with each state’s guidelines on support amounts.
Child custody is determined by an individual’s parenting time and responsibilities, in other words, which parent will raise their children after the divorce?
Child support is the amount of money paid to a court upon order. The court will determine the amount of monthly support based on each party’s income. You can visit state websites for specific information on how child support works in your particular state.