Nolo's Essential Guide to Child Custody & Support

Introduction

1. Basics of Divorce

• The Big Issues: Child Custody and Support
• When You Separate
• Annulment
• The Court Process
• Kinds of Divorces
• Parentage Actions for Unmarried Couples
• Divorce for Same-Sex Couples
  

2. Basics of Child Custody

• Physical and Legal Custody
• Creating a Parenting Plan: Out of Court
• Sample Parenting Plans
• When Parents Can't Agree: Going to Court
• Contentious Issues
• Making Shared Parenting Work

3. Basics of Child Support

• Who Pays Support?
• How Child Support if Calculated
• How to Estimate Child Support Obligations
• Deviating from the Guidelines
• Creating Your Own Written Agreement
• Going to Court for a Support Decision
• Temporary Support While the Divorce Is Pending
• Taxes and Your Children
• Health Insurance and Medical Child Support Orders
  

4. When You Decide to Divorce: The First Month

• Talking to the Kids
• Figure out Immediate Housing and Custody Issues
• Make A Temporary Parenting Plan
• Start Addressing Money Issues
• Get Organized
• File Court Papers
• How to Get your Agreements Made into Orders
• Take of yourself and your kids
  
• Knowing What You Need and Want

5. Avoiding Custody or Support Trial: Alternatives to Court

• Why You Should Avoid a Court Fight
• Negotiating with Your Spouse
• Mediation
• Collaborative Divorce
• Arbitration
• Private Judging
• Going to Trial

6. Dealing With the Court: Paperwork and Court Hearings

• Types of Court Hearings
• Scheduling a Hearing
• Dealing With the Other PArent's Attorney
• Preparing Court Documents
• Documents You Might Need
• Declarations
• Serving Papers
• Gathering Evidence: Disclosures and Discovery
• Preparing for the Hearing
• At the Hearing
• After the Hearing

7. Going to Trial

• Should you have a Lawyer
• Getting a Trial Date
• Issues in Child Custody Trials
• Issues in Child Support Trials
• Courtroom Procedures at Your Trial
• After the Trial

8. Custody Orders: Living With, Enforcing, and Changing Them

• Sharing Parenting After a Custody Hearing or Trial
• When the Other Parent Violates a Court Order
• When the Other Parent is Just Annoying
• When the Kids Don't Want to Go
• If You Suspect Child Abuse
• When the Other Parent Doesn't Take the Children
• Traveling With Your Child
• Changing Your Custody Arrangements
• When One Parent Is Out of State
• If You Move to Another State: Registering Your Custody Order 

9. Child Support Orders: Living With, Enforcing, and Changing Them

• Arranging for Payment
• If You're Paying Support: Changing the Amount
• How Long Child Support Lasts
• When Circumstances Change
• Enforcing Support Orders Across State Lines
• If Your Spouse Goes Missing
• Bankruptcy and Child Support

10. Worst Case Scenarios: Kidnapping, Abuse, and Interferences With Custody

• Kidnapping
• Child Abuse
• Interference With Parental Relationship
• Domestic Relationship
• Supervised Visitation for Difficult Situations
  

11. Custody and Support in Military Families

• Delaying Court Decisions: The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
• Custody and Visitation
• Child Support
• MEdical Benefits for Children
• Other Benefits
• Tax ISsues
• Locating a Service Member
• Serving Papers on Someone on a U.S. Military Base
• Domestic Violence and Other Abuse
  

12. The Law: How to Work With a Lawyer and Do Your Own Legal Research

• Should you Lawyer Up?
• Working With a Lawyer
• Looking for a Lawyer
• Paying a Lawyer
• If you have problems with your Lawyer
• Getting the Other Parent to Pay Your Attorneys' Fees
• Help With Self-Representation: Legal Document Preparers
• Knowledge Is Power: Learn the Law
• Quick Guide to Legal Research
  

Appendix: 50-State Charts

• Residency Requirements
• Grounds for Divorce
• State Child Support Calculators
• Court and Court Related Websites
• State Custody Best Interest Statutes
• State Custody Modification Statutes
• State Relocation Statutes
• State Child Support Modification Statutes
• State Child Support Enforcement Agencies
  

Index