Parents in Orange County may assume that after a divorce, each of them will have their own separate households, and the child will travel between the two during custody and visitation periods. Indeed, that is the general picture of child custody in our nation. However, there is one other living arrangement divorced parents may want to consider: bird's nesting.
In what ways can California parents pay child support?
In California, after a couple separates or divorces, a child support order will be entered into if the couple has children. This order dictates how much child support the noncustodial parent will have to pay per month to the custodial parent. Once a child support order is established in Orange County, it is important that payments are made in full and on time. There are a variety of ways in which a noncustodial parent can pay child support.
What can you do if your ex violates their child custody order?
In California, a court-ordered child custody and visitation schedule is a legally binding document. Therefore, it needs to be clear as to which parent has the child in their care and when. This includes not just daily or weekend custody and visitation, but also special events such as birthdays, holidays and vacations. All parties caring for the child or exchanging the child should have a copy of the order. If the parents informally agree to change the existing child custody and visitation schedule, they should still go to court for a new order reflecting these changes.
Creating a parenting plan through child custody mediation
Parents who are no longer in a relationship with each other, whether they recently divorced or were never married, still want to see that their break-up does not harm their children too much. While there may be some animosity between the child's parents, sometimes, for the sake of the child, they want to avoid fighting for child custody in court. One alternative in California for parents in this situation is child custody mediation.