If you have children under 18 and are going through a divorce, you will most likely going to have to face a child custody situation. The laws vary by state and the child support laws in Tennessee are pretty clear. What is not always clear is how the courts will handle the children in each child support case and who will be the custodial parent and who will be the non-custodial parent. Our Murfreesboro family law attorneys have helped parents with child custody cases for decades and have the experience, knowledge and network to help you get the best legal defense to represent your case. If you are about to go through a child custody situation, you want to ensure you have a top family law attorney that can help you strategize for your unique situation. We would like to provide you with a few things to think about as you begin this process.
How To Prepare For Your Child Custody Case
Here are a few things to think about as you prepare for your child custody case:
- Understand the child custody and child support laws of Tennessee. This will help as you prepare for your case however your family law attorney will also thoroughly understand these laws and can help you with a better understanding.
- Bring appropriate documents to court: Your Murfreesboro family law attorney will help you with what documents will help your case but having items like your financial records, payment history, visitations schedule as well as others.
- Proper courtroom etiquette and appearance: Dress the part as you only get a first impression once. Be polite and respectful to the judge as well as everyone in the courtroom. Everyone is watching so you don’t want to do or say something that could give someone the wrong impression about you.
- Do as the judge tells you: This is so important in so many ways. Always listen and do what the judge tells you. And whatever the outcome, do what the judge says. There is always the ability to come back to change the outcome of the case and you don’t want to cause any issues with the judge.
Changing Your Child Support Amount
There is often times good reason for changing the amount of child support owed by either party. The party receiving child support may feel the other party has received a raise or a higher paying job and want to file a motion for increased payments. Likewise, the individual paying child support may have lost a job or had their wages decreased and want to file a motion to reduce child support. Either way, this will need to go in front of a judge for a legal sign off for child support payments to be reduced.
Pay Your Child Support Payments
Not paying your child support payments can have serious consequences. Paying even partial payments can put you in a situation in which you are in contempt of court to have you back in front of a judge explaining why you are not paying. This may also put a negative light on your character inhibiting your ability to gain custody down the road. In addition, the judge can order you to pay all back payments then and there, put you in jail or garnish wages.
The best situation is to ensure you have a great legal team from the start to ensure that you can potentially not have to pay child support or to pay only what is required.
If you are about to go through a divorce or child custody case, give the law offices of Henderson, Raque & Cain a call or fill out our online form today.
615-848-9090
About Henderson, Raque & Cain Law Offices
Henderson, Raque, and Cain is a law firm in Murfreesboro, TN dedicated to the rights of our clients. Our experienced attorneys are specialize in specific areas of law to ensure you get the representation you deserve for your situation. Whether you are facing DUI charges, need a divorce attorney, would like to file a workers’ compensation or personal injury claim, you can find the experienced, dedicated legal help you deserve with our Murfreesboro attorneys. We have represented clients throughout Rutherford County in state and federal courts for decades, providing professional service with integrity. Our law firm is built on experience, dedication to quality, and proven legal insight.
We are ready to listen to you about your personal injury, family law, or criminal defense case, ready to understand your circumstances, needs, and goals. At every step, you can rely on us to be approachable, responsive, and efficient, communicating with you throughout your case to keep you informed of your rights and what to expect in your case. We understand that your rights, your financial well-being, and your future could all be at stake. Our Murfreesboro law firm is dedicated to getting you results.