What You Need to Know About Presenting Papers In Court
When a couple with children is in the process of getting a divorce, issues like custody, visitation and child support will be issues that arise and must be handled in a legal manner. Presenting the proper paperwork in a family court is necessary for couples who want to change either custody, visitation or the amount of child support that is paid monthly.
There are no official legal documents that are made to change a visitation order. Instead, the parent seeking to change the visitation schedule must write their own petition to change the schedule and file it with their local family court. If the parents are at odds about changing the visitation schedule, there are some documents that a parent should gather to bring to present in court in order to prove their case. A divorce can bring out hostility and bad feelings between parents. In their anger they may forget about their child's best interest and instead concentrate on hurting their spouse. Having valid reasons for a visitation change request is important. Having documents to prove the claim is important as well.
Before gathering paperwork to prove that a change in custody, visitation or the amount of child support that is paid is beneficial, an individual should look at the reasons for doing so. If changing the visitation schedule would truly benefit the child, then their may be documents that help to prove that claim. The benefits of changing the visitation schedule should be documented as formally as possible. For instance, if an older child is the one requesting a change in the visitation schedule, then having the child write a detailed letter explaining why the change would be beneficial will likely help support the claim.
If the request for a change in custody, visitation or child support is work related, then having documents from one's job to present in court may be beneficial. If one's work schedule is changing, then a letter or copy of a time card may prove to the judge why the change would beneficial. While the best interest of the child is considered before the parents' best interest, when dealing with custody and visitation in a divorce, a valid reason such as a mandatory change in work schedule may help the judge rule in one's favor.
When going through a divorce and filing for a custody, visitation or child support change, it may seem like there is a never-ending number of papers and forms to deal with. However, if one is able to create a schedule that benefits all parties involved, they may consider it to be worth the time spent.
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