Children

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Courts make decisions about children based on their best interests. Married parents who are divorcing, or unmarried parents going their separate ways, may see those interests very differently.  You want the best for your child, and we will work with you to help ensure your child’s needs are met, whether through amicable agreement or litigation.

Paternity

If you’re the mother of a child and need help supporting that child, we can help you establish paternity and receive child support.  If you think you’re the father of a child and want to establish your legal rights as a parent, we can help you too.  In Florida, any woman who is pregnant or has a child and any man who has reason to believe he is the father of a child may start proceedings in the circuit court to determine the paternity of the child.

In Florida, there are five ways to establish paternity:

  • Marriage: The parents are married to each other when the child is born,
  • Acknowledgement of Paternity:An unmarried couple signs a legal document acknowledging the child is theirs,
  • Administrative Order Based on Genetic Testing: Paternity is ordered if a genetic test proves fatherhood
  • Court Order: A judge orders paternity in court,
  • Legitimation: The mother and natural father get married to each other after the child is born and update the birth record through the Florida Office of Vital Statistics.

Child Support

Children need more than love and emotional support; they need financial support as well. Our child support attorney Boca Raton can help make sure the responsibility of financial support is shared by both parents. Child support may be by direct payment or by indirect benefits, such as mortgage payments, insurance or payment of medical and dental expenses. Normally the obligation to support a child ends when that child reaches age 18, marries, is emancipated, joins the armed forces or dies. There may be instances where the custodial parent wants an increase in child support and the non-custodial parent claims an inability to maintain a level of support due to changed circumstances. Our child support lawyer Boca Raton can help parents in either situation make sure their interests are fully defended. Contact our child support law firm Boca Raton today.

Child Custody

For a parent, the only thing more important than money to help raise a child is time spent raising and loving the child. The who, when, what, where and how of child custody and visitation can be difficult to resolve. Our child custody lawyer Boca Raton team is here it help.

In most cases, parental responsibility for a minor child will be shared by both parents so that each retains full parental rights and responsibilities with respect to their child. Shared parenting requires both parents to communicate so that major decisions affecting the child will be decided jointly.  The court will approve a parenting plan submitted by the parents, change it, or devise its own plan that includes responsibility for the daily tasks of child rearing, the time-sharing schedule, and the parents’ decision-making ability.

If a custodial parent wants to move with the child more than 50 miles away for longer than 60 days, the other parent must be notified before the move and a Boca Raton child custody attorney can help with this. If the noncustodial parent consents, the parents must file a written agreement with the court. If the parents can’t agree, there could be a hearing and a judge would decide whether to allow the move. If the move is viewed as negatively impacting the child or the relationship with the other parent, the judge may not approve the relocation.

If you have questions or concerns, call our Boca Raton child custody law firm today at 1-561-997-9995 or 1-800-863-9560.