North Carolina Child Custody Attorney
Conflicts dealing with the children often cause stress and heated arguments. At the Winston-Salem law firm of Hartsoe & Associates, P.C., our main message to our divorce clients experiencing conflict related to custody and support for children is: This does not have to be a war.
The future of your family is important to us, just as it is important to you. Our role as your attorneys is to help you understand your realistic options with regard to child support and child custody. Understanding your options will help you make decisions that have the best chance for long-term success, and that are in the best interests of your children
The Basics of Child Support in North Carolina
Child support calculations in North Carolina proceed according to statutory guidelines. Click here to see the Child Support Guidelines and Worksheets
While it may seem that child support is a pretty straightforward issue, this is often not the case. For example, if you believe your spouse is hiding income from you or is purposefully unemployed or underemployed, we may be able to help trace income sources and construct a strong argument that the spouse should be required to pay a higher amount of support. Self-employment adds all kinds of challenges to the computation of the amount of income to be used to plug into the child support calculation. Our attorneys are very familiar with the various ways people might try to suppress or hide income, and are aggressive about pursuing the necessary information to determine the truth.
The Basics of Child Custody and Visitation in North Carolina
North Carolina family court judges will make child custody and visitation decisions based on their determination of the best interests of the children. Except in cases of abuse and neglect, there is no longer a presumption that the children's mother should have primary custody. Instead, both parents should examine their wishes with regard to parenting time — along with the children's preferences and the parents' long-term plans regarding work and living situations.
In almost all cases, a parenting agreement that the parents reach via negotiated compromise has a better chance of working well in the long run. The process of reaching the agreement may be full of emotional turmoil, but it is often worth it.
Our law firm offers mediation and arbitration services, for cases in which the parents have difficulty reaching an acceptable compromise regarding child custody and visitation arrangements.
In addition to helping clients during new divorce cases, we also offer legal services in modification and enforcement actions relating to child support and custody.
Contact Hartsoe & Associates, P.C.
For answers to your specific questions regarding child support and child custody, contact our office to schedule a confidential consultation. Call toll-free 888-725-1985 or contact us online.
