When a married couple gets divorced, as well as in other types of family law cases, court orders will be put in place that will detail how certain issues will be handled going forward. While parents are expected to follow the terms of these orders, situations may arise in which one parent may believe that the other has failed to meet their obligations. These disputes may be related to child custody, child support, or other issues. Understanding the best ways to address these issues is important, and parents who approach these matters the wrong way could face a number of additional legal concerns. If you are in this situation, here are some mistakes that you should be sure to avoid:
Withholding Child Support
In some cases, a parent may violate child custody orders; for example, they may fail to pick up or drop off children when required, or they may refuse to allow the other parent to communicate with the children. These actions can cause a great deal of difficulty, especially for a "non-custodial" parent who spends less time with their children than they would prefer. The inability to spend time with children or communicate with them about what is going on in their lives can have a significant impact on parent/child relationships, and a parent who is being denied parenting time may believe that they need to take action to compel the other parent to abide by a child custody order.
In response to the denial of parenting time or other violations, a parent may believe that the best action would be to stop paying child support to the other parent. However, doing so will only complicate a case further, and it may lead to court penalties for failing to meet one's financial obligations. Child support is a benefit provided to children rather than to the other parent, and the denial of this form of support will ultimately harm the children. To avoid potential penalties, a parent will need to address the other parent's violations through the court rather than taking matters into their own hands.
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