Columbus GA Divorce Lawyer – Columbus Georgia Family Attorney

Columbus GA visitation law firm

Columbus GA visitation law firm

Child visitation rights Columbus GA

After a separation or divorce, if joint child custody has been granted, child visitation rights are given to the non-custodial parent. A judge may award short-term visitation rights to one parent, whereas the other will receive primary physical custody of the child during the divorce case.

If the court feels that it is best for the child to keep regular contact with both parents, long-term child visitation rights are given.

Child visitation rights should not be viewed as a given right. The court may decide that it is in the best interest of the child to give sole custody to one parent, rather than to allow access rights to the other. The non-custodial parent can still be ordered to pay child support in cases where access rights are denied. Child visitation rights and child support responsibilities are two distinct issues. Howeverwhen a parent is awarded child support payment obligations and visitation rights, there is a chance that the parent will not lose their visitation rights even if they fail to pay child support.

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The Law office of Scot Sikes handles family law in Columbus GA. Scot Sikes is a Columbus GA divorce lawyer & Georgia child custody attorney.

706-494-6900 - www.columbus-divorce.com

Fort Benning GA military divorce lawyer,
GA Uncontested Divorce - GA Contested Divorce - Separation - Spousal Support - Property Division - Alimony - Military Divorce - Contempt Actions in Divorce Cases - Child Custody modification - Child Support Modification - Child Visitation. Columbus GA Divorce lawyer and uncontested divorce attorney.

Harris County GA family law attorney

Harris County GA family law attorney

Child visitation in Columbus Georgia

If the judge comes to the decision that it is in the best interest of the child to be in touch with both parents, then the visitation rights come into picture. although, child custody does not come with a blanket sanction of visitation rights, it is completely on the judge to grant or not depending on the given proof. The judge has the powers to give custody to a parent and refusing visitation rights to the other in certain circumstances.

When both parents have mutually agreed to visitation rights they can make the plans keeping in mind the best interest of the children. Domestic violence and irrational behavior on your part can cost you heavily. You may not only be denied custody but even the right to visit and be with your child. The major reasons for visitation rights not being awarded in a child custody battle are danger to the child by a parent, violation of court order, and domestic violence to name a few.

How to get child custody is an issue that requires serious effort from your side and there is really nothing you can leave to chance. You must leave no stones unturned, because a minor oversight will result in your child being taken away from you. A complete knowledge of the child custody rules and the related child custody issues is important. First and foremost, you must get a qualified and experienced divorce and custody lawyer. Explain all matters to your attorney. Reveal everything to your lawyer.

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The Law office of Scot Sikes handles family law in Columbus GA. Scot Sikes is a Columbus GA divorce lawyer & Georgia child custody attorney.

706-494-6900 - www.columbus-divorce.com

Fort Benning GA military divorce lawyer,
GA Uncontested Divorce - GA Contested Divorce - Separation - Spousal Support - Property Division - Alimony - Military Divorce - Contempt Actions in Divorce Cases - Child Custody modification - Child Support Modification - Child Visitation. Columbus GA Divorce lawyer and uncontested divorce attorney.

Muscogee County GA child support attorney

Muscogee County GA child support attorney

Enforcing child support obligations in Columbus GA

When a person willfully disobeys a lawful child support order, he or she can be jailed for contempt of court. The civil contempt lawsuit is filed by the custodial parent. After that, the nonpaying parent should be served with process because he or she has the Constitutional right to attend the hearing and present a defense. If the nonpaying parent is served with process but does not attend the court, the court can order a bench warrant issued for his or her arrest.

If the court finds beyond a reasonable doubt that the parent has willfully failed to pay pursuant to a valid child support order, the court can order the nonpaying parent imprisoned. A parent who can prove that they did not have the ability to pay may not be found in contempt of court, even though he or she will continue to owe the money.

Many times, the simple threat of prison term is enough to pry open the recalcitrant parents pocketbook. yet, in severe cases, parents will be jailed and generally the jail sentence will be open-ended, terminating only when the proper payment has been made.

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The Law office of Scot Sikes handles family law in Columbus GA. Scot Sikes is a Columbus GA divorce lawyer & Georgia child custody attorney.

706-494-6900 - www.columbus-divorce.com

Fort Benning GA military divorce lawyer,
GA Uncontested Divorce - GA Contested Divorce - Separation - Spousal Support - Property Division - Alimony - Military Divorce - Contempt Actions in Divorce Cases - Child Custody modification - Child Support Modification - Child Visitation. Columbus GA Divorce lawyer and uncontested divorce attorney.

Muscogee County Georgia child support payment attorneys

Muscogee County Georgia child support payment attorneys

Child support payments in Columbus GA

Unlike alimony, payments of child support is not deducted from the payers income taxes. although, if you pay more than 50% of the actual costs of child support, you can claim the child as a dependent to save taxes. Parents generally agree on the issue of the dependents deduction so that both do not make the claim which can trigger an IRS audit. The court that grants the original child support award is said to have continuing jurisdiction to change the order as conditions warrant. Either parent may apply to the court to amend the order throughout the duration of the childs minority. Changes do not happen automatically. One parent must apply for the change by a formal petition to the court.

Child support orders cannot be modified on caprice or because a court feels that "it is time." It must be based on evidence establishing that enough reasons exist to make the change. This generally requires a demonstration of changed conditions in almost all states from the facts as they existed at the time that the last order was passed. In the many years a child support order remains effective, the parents circumstances may change many times and therefore the child support order.

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The Law office of Scot Sikes handles family law in Columbus GA. Scot Sikes is a Columbus GA divorce lawyer & Georgia child custody attorney.

706-494-6900 - www.columbus-divorce.com

Fort Benning GA military divorce lawyer,
GA Uncontested Divorce - GA Contested Divorce - Separation - Spousal Support - Property Division - Alimony - Military Divorce - Contempt Actions in Divorce Cases - Child Custody modification - Child Support Modification - Child Visitation. Columbus GA Divorce lawyer and uncontested divorce attorney.

Columbus Georgia child support amount lawyer

Columbus Georgia child support amount lawyer

Amount of child support in Chattahoochee County GA

To help the court in determining the right amount of support, both parents will be required by the judge to prepare a financial declaration that is signed under penalty of perjury. Each parent must fully disclose their income from all sources, the nature and extent of their assets like bank accounts, investments and real property and their financial obligations. The court will depend heavily on these documents in making the order and therefore it is in the best interests of the children that the declarations are filled out completely and honestly.
Child support hearings are generally adversarial. That means that when the parents cannot agree on the support order, the court will hold a hearing to determine the issue. During this hearing, each spouse or their lawyer will have the chance to cross examine the other on issues relevant to the support issue and each can request documents and call witnesses to support his or her stand as to the amount of child support that should be paid. Child support orders can also be appealed, but the chances of success is very slim.

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The Law office of Scot Sikes handles family law in Columbus GA. Scot Sikes is a Columbus GA divorce lawyer & Georgia child custody attorney.

706-494-6900 - www.columbus-divorce.com

Fort Benning GA military divorce lawyer,
GA Uncontested Divorce - GA Contested Divorce - Separation - Spousal Support - Property Division - Alimony - Military Divorce - Contempt Actions in Divorce Cases - Child Custody modification - Child Support Modification - Child Visitation. Columbus GA Divorce lawyer and uncontested divorce attorney.

Harris County Georgia divorce lawyers

Harris County Georgia divorce lawyers

Child custody orders in Muscogee County Georgia

During a marriage or committed relationship, custody issues are not usually a ground for concern for the court. Yet when parents divorce or cease to reside together with their children as a family, the courts are generally required to set by order the amount of child support a non-custodial parent should pay. As with the issue of custody, this can be reached by agreement or by fighting it out in the court. Child support payments, like alimony, may be incorporated into the divorce judgment or may be provided for in a marital separation agreement. You may avoid making child support a contested issue, and the legal expense of fighting this issue before a judge, by both parents agreeing to the appropriate amount of child support and making this agreement part of a marital separation agreement.

There are several parts to most child support orders in almost all states. Child support orders are issued by courts if the parents are unable to agree on a fair child support payment and then include that agreement in a marital separation agreement. First of all, the paying parent will almost certainly be ordered to make a monthly money payment to the custodial parent. Many paying parents resent the child support order as it is made directly to the custodial parent and not the children. Due to this, few refuse to make the payments as they see it as a form of alimony. yet, this is not true. The direct payments are to be utilized to pay for the vital requirements of the children, such as rent, food, and clothes. A child support order is not set in concrete yet is subject to change when future circumstances warrant. Therefore, either parent may apply to the court to increase or decrease support if circumstances warrant.

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The Law office of Scot Sikes handles family law in Columbus GA. Scot Sikes is a Columbus GA divorce lawyer & Georgia child custody attorney.

706-494-6900 - www.columbus-divorce.com

Fort Benning GA military divorce lawyer,
GA Uncontested Divorce - GA Contested Divorce - Separation - Spousal Support - Property Division - Alimony - Military Divorce - Contempt Actions in Divorce Cases - Child Custody modification - Child Support Modification - Child Visitation. Columbus GA Divorce lawyer and uncontested divorce attorney.