Child Custody and Support: If both parents agree on a parenting plan, our attorneys will draw up the agreement to be signed by both parents and represent you before the court to ensure the parenting plan becomes an enforceable court order. Traditionally, child custody is categorized as follows:

Joint legal custody. The parents share the right and responsibility to make important decisions about their children’s health, education and welfare.

Sole legal custody. One parent has the right to make decisions related to the health, education and welfare of the children.

Joint physical custody. The children spend time, equally or not, living with each parent on a regular basis.

Sole physical custody. The child lives with one parent and the other parent has visitation.

For custody to be awarded to someone other than a parent, however, the judge would have to believe that giving custody to either parent would be detrimental or harmful to the children.

Both parents are both responsible for supporting your children if they are under age 18. And this duty may extend beyond age 18 if certain conditions are met. In addition to child support, parents may be required to pay other expenses for the children, such as child care, medical care and/or travel between households. The amount of support to be paid by one parent to the other is based on established guidelines. Our attorneys will guide you to determine who will pay such support, and how much is to be paid. If necessary, our attorneys may obtain from the court a wage assignment order. This is an order that requires a parent’s employer to make child support payments directly from the parent’s wages. If the parents are unable to agree on custody or visitation, a judge will make the decision for you. There are several steps to finalizing a custody plan. However, custody and visitation can be decided on a temporary basis if there are immediate problems. The attorneys at the Law Office of David A. Esquibias will aggressively and competently represent you in all aspects of Child Support.