Family Lawyer in Edmonton | Custody & Child Support

For most people, navigating a divorce is very stressful says family lawyer in Edmonton. It can be made even more stressful when there are children in the marriage. Not only do parents have to navigate their own divorce, but they also have to navigate custody and child support as well. A large percentage of couples who are divorcing or separating have children under 18. Divorcing parents make up 1/4 of all people who are going through a divorce. Therefore, helping parents understand how to navigate to the child support and child custody agreements is very important.

Ultimately, family lawyer in Edmonton says that parents most common concerns about their children during a separation or divorce is fearful of losing their child. Either to the other parents, or to another person that might come into their child’s lives and be a parental figure. However, when parents are able to cast aside their fears, and work together in the best interest of the child, the child can end up having a great relationship with both parents, while they separate and and their marriage together.

When parents are navigating divorce with children, family lawyer in Edmonton says that custody of the dependent children is one of the main reasons for contention in the divorce. This can be an extremely stressful time, and they recommend parents look at it from the child’s point of view. If they are able to understand that the child’s best interest should be at heart, then they may be able to workouts and agreements that is truly in the child’s best interest.

More and more these days, parents are having divorce agreements with complete shared custody of the children. What shared custody means, is that both parents have the child a minimum of 40% each or more. This is often 60/40, or 50/50. Family lawyer in Edmonton says that when parents have this, it is considered shared parenting.  however, once a parent has the child for more than 60% of the time, that is considered sole custody, and the rules are slightly different.

What ends up being in the best interest of the child ends up being what is the best outcome. Often, parents get so caught up in their own conflict with each other that they don’t see that they are negatively affecting their children. Children are very susceptible, and are very perceptive. Even if fighting and divorcing couples think that they are hiding it well from their children, they probably aren’t hiding it at all. Therefore, they should look at what’s in their child’s best interest, and man act accordingly.

It is difficult enough to navigate a separation or divorce. And it’s even harder when there are children involved. However, if parents keep their children’s best interest at heart first and foremost, and work together to come up with what is in their child’s best interest, they will be able to end up with an agreement that allows their child to live a healthy and normal life, which is what’s the goal should be.

There are so many different variables when it comes to child custody and child support says family lawyer in Edmonton. Therefore, often a couple’s best chances of resolving this simply and easily is finding out all of the facts, and having an open dialogue. Ultimately, what is in the child’s best interest should be kept in mind, and there are federal guidelines that can help direct a family towards the best solution.  parents can end up coming up with their own solution that that might work for them, but ultimately, it’s going to be up to the courts to decide if this is in the child’s best interest.

If parents are having a difficult time navigating this alone, family lawyer in Edmonton suggest set parents come to mediation or collaboration with these problems. Ultimately,  the recommendation is for parents to always have an active discussion in making this decision. If parents can’t come to an agreement together, the  courts will ultimately end up making the final decision. And this is not necessarily what’s preferential.

Even though the courts will be acting in the child’s best interest, parents should want to work together to come up with what is best for their child, and not let a stranger decide. If parents cannot come to an agreement, the court will decide where the child lives, where they are going to school, what parents they spend most of their time with. And none of these things should be decided by a stranger. Even a bad agreement is better than a court  decision, Because that means a parents control over their child is completely gone.

 Child custody is one issue, and child support is completely another sis family lawyer in Edmonton. Ultimately, child support refers to the money paid from one parent to the other parents to help pay for the costs of raising children. There are a few different levels starting with basic. Basic is what  amount of money one parent pays the other parents to help pay for the child’s food, clothing, shelter and utilities for example. The  federal guidelines for child support takes into consideration that the parents that has custody is also putting money towards raising their child, and the child support paid from one parents to the other is to help offset this cost.

The next level of child support is called special expenses, which is also called section 7 expenses. And these are extraordinary expenses shared by both parents in proportion to their income. A great example of this is family lawyer in Edmonton is if a child is in an extracurricular hockey program. The special expenses will help ensure that both parents are paying for those expenses, directly in proportion to how much money they are both earning.

Ultimately, both parents are financially responsible for their children. And they are also responsible to raise their children. In order to help with this, family lawyer in Edmonton the says that there are federal guidelines on the government of Canada website. Parents who are needing guidance can get a hand from this website To figure out the best way to structure there child custody and child support.