As a family law attorney one of the most challenging situations I help clients with is going through a child custody or child support hearing. Being a parent can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. The unconditional love between you and your child is probably one of the most unique and amazing things you have ever known. When conflicts arise between you and the other parent of the child however, the situation may escalate to such a level that you may end up in a court hearing for any number of reasons, including a child custody hearing or a child support hearing.
If you and the other parent of your child will be going through a court hearing regarding your child, you might want to consider seeking help from an attorney. As going through a child custody hearing will probably be one of the most stressful and difficult times of your life. It will be difficult and stressful because both you and the other parent of your child will likely both be fighting for custody of the child. Just the fear of losing custody of your child may be enough to raise your stress to an unhealthy level, and if you do not know what to expect during the hearing, it may put your emotions over the top. A family law attorney will be able to inform you of what to expect during the hearing and can help make sure that you are properly portrayed during the hearing, which can be the difference between being awarded custody and losing custody of your child.
The court will likely consider many factors during your custody hearing before determining how custody will be split and to whom it will be awarded. One of the main factors that the court will probably consider during the hearing is your parenting ability. Keep in mind, the other parent of the child will probably be trying as hard as they can to gain custody, so having a legal professional on your side that has experience in these types of cases can be crucial.
Once you have made it through the custody hearing, you may also have to endure a support hearing. The support hearing will probably be held to determine how much money the non-custodial parent will be required to pay each month in child support. Whether you are the parent making the payments, or the parent receiving the payments, a family law attorney can be a great help in making it through this hearing as well.
Fighting with the other parent of your child regarding child custody, or any other matter, can be very stressful to endure. When these conflicts end up in court, it's important to have an experienced attorney at your side to help you through the hearing. You're more likely to get the outcome you want with the help of an experienced attorney. I offer a free initial consultation where you can get all your questions answered.