Child Support Attorneys Orange County California - What You Need To Know

The Judge ordered you to pay child support.  You either could not pay or you just haven’t paid the custodial parent. You are contacted by the Orange County Child Support Services and given notice for you to come to the office or notice to show up in Court.  What do you do?  Find and make an appointment with any number of child support attorneys.  Orange County California has its own local agency of the California Department of Child Support Services.  Their mission is “[t]o enhance the quality of life for children and families by establishing and enforcing court orders for the financial and medical support of children in an effective, efficient, and professional manner.”  Do not be fooled, they will collect from you, one way or another.  They have the power to suspend your driver’s license if you do not comply with a child support order.  They also have the power to garnish your wages, without your permission.  Also, if the custodial parent had to receive welfare to support the minor children, you (the non-custodial parent) will have to pay the welfare back to the state of California.  Ask any and all child support attorneys.  Orange County California Department of Child Services has far reaching powers to collect Court ordered child support.

The child support amount that you are ordered to pay is derived by inputting your income, the income of the other parent, the number of minor children you have and the percentage of time that you share your minor child or children into a formula called the Dissomaster guideline.  These are mainly the factors that effect child support.  The Dissomaster can be run by child support attorneys.  Orange County California Judges usually follow the guidelines of the Dissomaster when ordering child support.  However, other factors do affect the outcome such as expenses and other types of income such as bonuses and commissions.  The Judge uses the Dissomaster as a guideline, but they do not always have to follow the results.  It is up to the Judges’ discretion to follow the guidelines.

Once the incomes of both parents are established, which could be quite complex, the Judge will then determine an interim child custody time share.  Each of these issues could go to trial if the parties cannot agree.  In the meantime, understand that one of the Court’s main objectives during a divorce proceeding is to protect the children and make sure that they are financially supported and their needs are met.  Even if the parties cannot agree to an income issue, the Judge will most likely order interim child support which may be changed at the conclusion of the divorce.

If you are looking for child support attorneys in Orange County California, please give us a call at 1-800-784-6670, and we would be happy to help.  With over 20 years experience in Orange County Family law courts, you can be sure you have made the right decision.

Child Support Lawyers Orange County California

One of the most frequently asked questions in a divorce with minor children is whether or not child custody affects child support.  The answer is, yes.  However, many mistakenly believe that if they get more than 50% physical custody of a minor child, they will not have to pay child support at all.  There are times when this is true and there are cases when it is not true. There are many factors that will determine the amount of child support and who will be ordered to pay.  You need to have the Dissomaster formula run by child support lawyers.  Orange County California courts mainly utilize and follow the guidelines of the Dissomaster formula.  What is the Dissomaster formula?   Well, unless you helped formulate it, the exact mathematical formulation is complex to understand and explain, even for some child support lawyers.  Orange County, California judges do follow the guidelines of the formula to come to a child support order.  You will need to understand that the results will vary depending on many financial and custody factors.

So, the first thing that your attorney will need from you is your income information in order to run the formula.  The next important factor is the percentage of time that you and your spouse will share the minor children.  Visitation can be divided any way the parties want.  However, it is not always easy to agree.  If the parties cannot agree to a visitation plan the next thing that you need to do is consult with child support lawyers.  Orange County California family court requires the parties to attend mediation before the Judge will hold a hearing regarding custody and visitation issues.

Mediation is a meeting between both parties and a professional mediator.  The mediator will assist the parties to come to an agreement regarding visitation with the minor child or children.  If the parties cannot agree to custody and visitation, the mediator will report to the Court that the parties could not come to an agreement.  The mediator only handles the custody and visitation issues of a divorce proceeding.  They will not discuss child support with you.  The Court will then allow a hearing and give the parties a chance to testify.  Then the Judge will make interim custody and visitation orders.  This interim visitation order will be plugged into the Dissomaster formula along with the income information of both parties to come to an interim child support order.

Yes, you may be able to change the child support order at the end of the divorce proceeding.  If your income changes or the Court changes the custody and visitation orders the amount of child support will change in the Dissomaster.  Now, just because you get more than 50% of time with your children, doesn’t mean you will pay nothing.  If your income is much higher than your spouse’s income, you will still be paying child support.

If you are looking for top child support lawyers in Orange County California, please give us a call at 1-800-784-6670 or complete the contact form above, and we would be very happy to help you attain your goals!

Child Custody Attorneys Orange County California

What does having custody of a minor child mean? That is one of the most frequently asked questions to child custody attorneys.  Orange County, California family law defines custody in two ways.  There is physical custody and legal custody.  You can hold physical and legal custody either jointly or solely.  Having joint physical custody does not necessarily mean that you have the child or children fifty percent (50%) of the time.  The term “joint” means that both the mother and father equally have the legal right to have physical visitation with the minor child.  The party who physically has the minor child for more percentage of time has primary physical custody.  The other party holds secondary custody.  The fight is usually about who gets more time with the child and how that affects child support.  Most child custody attorneys in Orange County California will be able to run the dissomaster guidelines and be able to advise you on child support issues as well as custody issues.

A party can also hold sole physical custody.  Again, this term does not mean that the other party does not get to see the minor child at all.  Reasonable visitation is ordered by the Court even if one party holds sole physical custody.  If a party has sole physical custody of a minor child, it technically allows a party to move to other counties, states or countries without the permission of the other party.  However, be aware that most custody orders limit the power to move a minor child away without consulting the other parent.  If you think that your child is going to be moved away, you need to immediately consult with child custody attorneys.  Orange County, California Judges do not like to see that one parent is deliberately trying to undermine the relationship of a child and the other parent by moving the child away.  Even if you have sole physical custody, you should not disrupt the visitation schedule of the other parent ordered by the Court.  The goal of the Court is to provide continuous and uninterrupted contact between the minor child and both parents as to promote the best interest of the minor child.

Legal custody can also be held jointly or solely.  Legal custody gives the parents the legal decision making power, mainly, over the health and education of a minor child.  So, joint legal custody is usually what is ordered by the Judge, because that gives both parents equal power over the health and education of their child.  The problems come into issue, for example, when one parent wants to send the child to a private school and the other parent does not.  Another example would be if a child has physical or mental health issues and has special needs or recommended medication.  One parent wants the medication and the other parent does not.  If you cannot agree with the other parent and you either hold joint legal custody of a minor child or custody is not yet established in your case, you need to consult with child custody attorneys.  Orange County California schools and physicians will abide by an order of the Court.

If we can help in any way with your child custody case, please give us a call at 800-784-6670 or fill out the contact form above.