Contentious Child Custody And Support Issues

Child custody and child support can be contentious and difficult issues for many divorcing parents in Kansas. After a split, parents will often have less time with their children and, particularly, less unscheduled time. Some parents may be able to put aside their differences and reach a fairly amicable agreement on co-parenting and sharing time. However, other parents with more divisive relationships may instead wind up going through a longer battle over custody and other issues concerning the children.

Both mothers and fathers often feel as if they have been treated unfairly in family court. Mothers may feel they are not taken seriously, while fathers may believe they have been the victims of gender bias. Statistics seem to support that notion, with 80 percent of parents with primary custody being mothers. However, in most of those cases, a custody dispute was not at issue, and the father was not seeking child custody. When fathers take action to seek custody, they have a much higher likelihood of success, despite the presence of traditional or unfair judges.

Child support can also be a difficult issue, especially for parents whose financial circumstances change after the split. Paying parents may lose their jobs, become disabled or otherwise suffer significant financial hardship. Because child support orders are issued on the basis of a parent’s income and a state formula, it can quickly become impossible for a parent to pay their support obligations. As a result, parents may face mounting debt and the threat of jail time for contempt of court.

However, parents can take action to escape the growing debt burden. A family law attorney may be able to help a parent to petition for a child support modification with documentation of financial hardship. A modified support order can reflect a parent’s current financial standing rather than past wealth.