Recent Family Law Changes: Child Custody and Support
William C. Gentry — a Marietta, Georgia, attorney
The law changes continuously and you need a lawyer who keeps up with the changes. Attorney William C. Gentry of Gentry, Smith, Dettmering, Morgan & Schnatmeier, LLP not only keeps abreast of changes in family law, but he also frequently lectures other attorneys on adapting to new changes. For a free initial consultation, you can contact the firm online or call 770-425-5573.
Recent Changes to Family Law: Child Custody
Changes to child custody law were enacted recently, on January 1, 2008. Two characteristics of the change are that: The law was made much more complex and it is much harder for parents to go through child support proceedings without the aid of an experienced attorney. Highlights of the new law include:
- Each parent is required to submit a detailed parenting plan to the court. After submitting plans, the two parents come together with the judge to try to work out a final version.
- Parents may opt to make their plan using arbitration. They may agree to select on their own arbiter who will approve the final parenting plan.
- Children 14 years of age or older can still choose which parent they want to live with, but the judge has more authority to overrule that decision.
Recent Changes to Family Law: Child Support
Changes to child support law were enacted on January 1, 2007. Like the child custody changes, the new law has made it much more complicated to calculate a final child support arrangement. The new calculation involves a multistep process:
- Both parents' incomes are added together, which we call the "total income."
- Based on the total income, the court determines how much money should be put toward raising the children, the "total child support."
- The noncustodial parent pays a percentage of the "total child support" equal to his or her percentage of the "total income."
There are other factors that enter into this, and the statute describing the change is approximately 30 pages long. For a free consultation to discuss the new changes to family law, contact Gentry, Smith, Dettmering, Morgan & Schnatmeier, LLP online or call 770-425-5573.
