Parental Rights and Child Support

Child support issues can be complex and confusing. The attorneys at Maselli Warren, P.C. understand the emotional and financial turmoil you experience, and are committed to making the legal process to obtain, enforce, modify, or terminate child support less overwhelming for parents.

New Jersey Child Support Guidelines

Both parents have an obligation to provide child support for their children. In New Jersey, child support is often determined using the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines. The Guidelines are used to establish the percentage each party must pay to support their children, based upon the parties’ actual incomes. Child support may include the particular needs of your family, including medical insurance premiums, work-related child care, and extraordinary expenses. Child support matters can be complex, but the attorneys at Maselli Warren know how to make the Guidelines work for you.

College Contribution

Education is critical to success. For that reason, the New Jersey Courts recognize both parental contribution towards college, and secondary education expenses for divorced or separated parents. At Maselli Warren, P.C., our experienced attorneys know how to evaluate these often complicated matters to protect your rights and ensure your childrens’ needs are met.

Emancipation

Your children won’t stay small forever. There comes a day when they move beyond our sphere of influence and into lives of their own. Whether your child is a recent college graduate, or has decided to take a break from pursuing higher education, our attorneys are well-versed in the changing climate of emancipation law. We will work with you to evaluate your case and emancipate your child to terminate the corresponding support obligations when that time comes.

Enforcement

Has your ex-spouse stopped making his or her child support payments, but you don’t know where to turn? Non-payment of child support obligations is a serious matter which can result in:

suspension of a driver’s or other professional license.
interception of a tax refund.
interception of gambling or lottery winnings.
incarceration.

The attorneys at Maselli Warren, P.C. know how to put the New Jersey Law to work for you to obtain a judgment — and enforcement — of your ex-spouse’s child support obligations.

Modification

Did your ex-spouse recently get a big promotion, or a raise? Have you lost your job, but can’t find another at a comparable salary? Do you have a child who has gone off to college? Child support obligations are modifiable based upon a change in circumstances such as these. Our seasoned attorneys are well-equipped to evaluate your unique set of circumstances and determine if now is the time to request an upward or downward modification of child support, or time for a recalculation based upon the parties’ current incomes.

Probation Accounts

Are you tired of having to hunt down your ex-spouse for timely payments, or worried the payments won’t be made at all? Our parental rights and child support attorneys are experienced in working with the county probation offices to ensure efficient establishment and consistent enforcement of child support obligations. By partnering with the child support enforcement unit, parents can rest assured that their support obligations are both processed, and properly enforced.

Forms of Child Custody

Child custody has two basic forms: legal and residential.

Legal custody refers to who can make decisions on behalf of your children. While joint legal custody is the standard, certain circumstances give rise to one parent exercising sole legal custody.

Residential custody refers to where the child lives, and how much time the child spends with each parent or guardian. But residential custodial relationships are not one size fits all. Our attorneys understand that, and work to craft parenting time arrangements that best serve your needs.

In addition, child custody structures also consider other elements, including:

fathers’ rights.
grandparents’ rights.
paternity.
parenting time.
relocation issues.

Our attorneys are here to diligently work for the best interests of your children as you face child custody issues.

Family Rights

Fathers’ Rights

Gone are the days where mom was automatically awarded custody of the children. Today, fathers have the same legal rights as mothers. In fact, fathers are often awarded custody of their children and named the parent of primary residence when it is in the children’s best interests. We routinely work with fathers to fight for their rights to spend meaningful, quality time with their children.

Grandparents’ Rights

While grandparents’ rights are often limited, we frequently work with grandparents seeking to gain more time with their grandchildren, and with parents defending requests of grandparents for visitation.

Paternity

When paternity and fatherhood are in question, a simple DNA test can be done in our office or even at the courthouse to give you the answers you seek. The attorneys at Maselli Warren, P.C. are here to guide you through the legal process to protect your rights and get the answers you deserve.

Parenting Time Modifications

Is your current custody or parenting time arrangement outdated and no longer working for you? Has your ex-spose stopped exercising parenting time? Does your parenting time arrangement meet your child’s needs? Custody and parenting time arrangements are always modifiable upon a change in circumstances. We will work with you to protect your rights and get the modifications to your custody and parenting time arrangements to meet your current needs.

Relocation

Does the other parent want to move out of state with your children? Do you want to move out of state to pursue a lucrative career? Our attorneys have experience handling relocation matters — on both sides. Whether you are moving, or want to stop the other parent from moving with your children, we are here to evaluate your case and walk you through the process. Relocation matters can be tricky, but an experienced attorney can handle the details — and our attorneys know how to protect your rights throughout the process.

Using Mediation to Resolve Disputes

Mediation is a commonly used tool for resolving custody and parenting time disputes. In fact, the New Jersey Court Rules mandate the use of mediation for most custody and parenting time matters. At Maselli Warren, we know how to coach you through the process, and have served as mediators ourselves helping others resolve these oftentimes emotional and sensitive issues.

The attorneys at Maselli Warren have over 30 years of combined experience handling family law matters in Burlington, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Mercer, Ocean, and Somerset Counties. We know the Judges — and they know us. But most of all, we know how to get results for our clients to fit their goals, whether that’s a simple uncontested divorce on the papers, or a complex custody relocation issue. If your case needs more than legal support, we have a network of professionals to team up with to resolve your case.

Contact Maselli Warren online, or call us today at (800) 891-2657.