Going through a family law-related issue can be tough. Divorce, child custody and support disputes, and fighting for your rights as a father in New Hampshire can seem complex and daunting, but you don’t have to go through these issues alone. A qualified New Hampshire family law attorney is ready and available to help you and provide you with advice on how to handle your family law issues. Contact one of our team members today.
New Hampshire Divorce
Divorce law is different in each state, meaning that each state has its own rules governing divorce. When filing for a divorce in New Hampshire, the grounds for the divorce must be specified by the spouse requesting the divorce. The divorce can be obtained either based on the fault of one of the spouses, or based on no fault of either of the spouses. A fault divorce means that one spouse has broken the marriage, either by being guilty of committing extreme physical or mental cruelty on his or her spouse, committing adultery, guilty of abusing alcohol, or guilty of abandonment of his or her spouse for a period of two years or more.
Along with the divorce proceeding, the divorcing couple will have to resolve several other family law issues, such as who will pay child support, who will pay alimony, who will have custody of the children, and who will get what property as part of the divorce. These issues can be points of contention between the spouses, and it can be very difficult for divorcing spouses to make decisions about these matters without outside help. When spouses can’t come to an agreement on their own, the New Hampshire family court may have to intervene, and the divorcing spouses may not like the arrangement that the family court judge decides upon for them. A qualified New Hampshire divorce lawyer can assist you in negotiating agreements between you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse, which can help keep down court costs, and can reduce the total amount of time that the divorce will take. Contact our team for New Hampshire divorce help immediately.
New Hampshire Child Support
If your New Hampshire family law issues are about your children, then it is very likely that you will be facing either a child support determination or will need assistance getting a child support order enforced. Child support in New Hampshire is the responsibility of both parents, and entitles the child to a standard of living equal to what the paying parent enjoys, but is scaled based on the number of children who are receiving support. A formula is used in New Hampshire to make child support determinations, which takes the paying parent’s net income and multiplies it by a set percentage based on how many children are being provided for.
Adjustments to the child support amount can be sought under special circumstances, which can include situations where the paying parent makes either a very high amount of income or a very low amount of income, situations where the paying parent is faced with extraordinary educational, medical, or dental expenses, incurred by the children, or if there is an addition to the payor’s family, such as new children, stepchildren or adopted children. Other circumstances may also qualify a child support obligation to modification. For help with New Hampshire child support determinations and modifications, contact our team of child support attorneys today.
New Hampshire Child Custody
The New Hampshire family court makes child custody determinations based on the best interest of the child. This means that the court considers a plurality of factors when deciding which parent should be awarded primary custody. These factors include each parent’s ability to provide or the child a suitable home, loving environment and strong support system, the child’s existing relationship with each parent, the child’s preferences (if the child is sufficiently aged to make such a decision), the child’s needs and the parents’ respective abilities to provide for those needs, how cooperative the parents are with each other, and whether there is any history of abuse committed by the parents against the child.
Parents are encouraged to work together in New Hampshire to develop a parenting plan, which must be filed with the court. The parenting plan should set out information pertaining to the role each parent will play in the child’s life in light of the custody award. The plan should include a designation of a parent custody schedule (i.e., which parent has visitation/custody for certain holidays, birthdays, etc.), which parent has certain decision making responsibilities, how the parents will handle relocating the child and a strategy for handling disputes, should any arise. These issues are complicated, and an experienced New Hampshire child custody attorney will be immensely helpful as you go through the child custody award process. Our team will provide you with insight and advice that can greatly benefit you and your child as you adjust to your new custody arrangement. Please reach out to us when you need help.
New Hampshire Fathers’ Rights
Many fathers feel like they are treated unfairly by the New Hampshire family law courts. Strong legal advocacy and insightful legal guidance can make all the difference for these men in their child support and child custody cases. While it seems like unfair biases exist against making the father the primary custodial parent, you deserve to have custody of your child just as much as his or her mother does. If you are fighting for your rights as a father, we are here to help you preserve and protect your rights.
Family law in the state of New Hampshire spans a variety of legal topics, including, but not limited to, child support and child custody, divorce and fathers’ rights. Seeking the assistance and advice of a New Hampshire family law lawyer is key to protecting your rights and is your first step towards obtaining the successful legal outcome that you want and deserve.