Child Custody and Child Support
Las Vegas Child Custody Attorney & Child Support
Divorce inevitably brings a great deal of transition and upheaval to families, even under the best of circumstances. Property division and resolution of custody issues are just a few of the things that must be handled when dissolving a marriage. When minor children are involved, the potential for conflict increases significantly, and that is why it is critical to enlist the help of seasoned child custody attorneys as you embark upon your new life. At Pintar Albiston, our Las Vegas child custody attorneys pride themselves on their ability to provide compassionate, personalized legal representation to every client we are privileged to serve.
Las Vegas Child Support Fundamentals
Nevada law provides, absent stipulation by the parties, that the parent not residing with minor children will be responsible for paying child support to the custodial parent until the children reach age 18 or complete high school. The amount of support owed is determined by a family court judge, and is based on a series of statutory guidelines. Raising children is an extremely expensive proposition, and both parents must be held accountable for providing their kids with medical care, housing, food, educational opportunities and other necessities. Generally speaking, child support obligations represent a percentage of the non-custodial parent’s gross monthly income, increasing with each subsequent child.
Deviations from the standard formula may be granted following consideration of factors such as:
- Prevailing cost of child care
- Cost of health insurance
- Educational requirements of the children
- Value of services contributed by the parents
- Public assistance payments received by the children
- Legal obligations of parents to financially support others
- Parental income disparity
Our child support attorneys will help negotiate the best available outcome for your particular case.
Las Vegas Child Custody Issues in Divorce Cases
Parents of minor children who are contemplating divorce must familiarize themselves with the different categories of child custody recognized by Nevada law. Legal custody encompasses the authority to make important decisions on a child’s behalf, including those regarding education, religion and non-emergency medical situations. It is possible for parents to have joint legal custody, or for one parent to have sole legal custody, when circumstances dictate.
Physical custody refers to the parent with whom the minor child resides the majority of the time. Again, parents may have joint physical custody, whereby the child splits their time between households, or one parent may seek sole physical custody. Under such an arrangement, a non-custodial parent will customarily be afforded significant rights to visitation.
When resolving custody disputes, Las Vegas judges will consider factors such as the ages of the children, parental preferences, the nature of each child’s relationship with both parents, the mental and physical health of all parties involved, parental ability to provide stability, comfort and care and also the wishes of the children themselves.
The Importance of a Parenting Plan
Whether parents opt for informal discussions or require the added help of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), all of their negotiations will result in a final written arrangement known as a parenting plan. This document will outline physical and legal custody of the children and also set a visitation schedule for the noncustodial parent.
Our attorneys are regularly involved in the process of drafting custody agreements as their expert input ensures that all parties’ opinions and desires are fairly represented and the end result is a truly collaborative agreement that both parents and children benefit from.
What to Expect at a Child Custody Hearing
Whether or not parents agree upon a parenting plan, a child custody hearing will be held. These often informal hearings involve a judge and the parents seeking custody. If a parenting plan was drafted and agreed upon prior to the hearing, the judge will make sure both sides understand its contents and, if the judge deems it valid, will finalize it into a court order.
If child custody still remains in dispute at the time of the custody hearing, the judge will ultimately award custody as they see fit. The order will then be finalized and parents will need to petition the court if changes in life’s circumstances warrant a modification to their parenting plan and custody arrangement.
Custody Help in Las Vegas, Summerlin & Green Valley NV
At Pintar Albiston, our child custody attorney understands how wrenching divorce and subsequent child custody and child support issues can be for families throughout Las Vegas, Summerlin and Green Valley. That is why our team of attorneys are dedicated to crafting fair, workable solutions that enable our clients to move forward with their lives in a healthy, positive way.