Santa Maria Child Custody Attorneys Serving California’s Central Coast

Compassionate Advocates in Custody, Visitation and Support Matters

If you are involved in a divorce or family law matter, nothing is more important than your children. Child custody and visitation issues can be stressful and emotionally charged for everyone involved. The attorneys at The Law Office of Christopher S. Biely attempt to take as much of the burden off your shoulders as possible so that your attention can be on your parent-child relationship, rather than a legal battle.

Our attorneys have extensive experience in helping clients with all child custody and visitation related matters including:

• Obtaining custody court orders
• Reviewing custody orders
• Schedule enforcement
• Supervised visitation
• Facilitating supervised visitation
• Obtaining no visitation orders

We know that no two situations are the same. Our attorneys work closely with you to review all aspects of your custody matter and develop a strategy that will be best for you and your children.

Understanding the Basics of California Child Custody & Visitation

Child custody matters can either be settled between the parties or decided by the court. If both parents agree, child custody and visitation matters may be decided between them. If the issues are contested, a court will make the determination based on what is in the best interests of the child. The court will consider various factors determined by statute in making this decision, including age, health, educational opportunities, emotional ties, family violence, and the parents’ abilities to care for the child.

There are two types of custody in California — legal and physical. Legal custody refers to who has decision-making authority for the children. Physical custody refers to which parent the children live with. Custody can be sole and belong to one parent or joint and shared between them.

The parent who the children do not live with has the right to visitation unless their welfare would be jeopardized. In these types of situations, a child may get to spend time with the other parent only if the visits are supervised. Otherwise, visitation can be enforced with a reasonable visitation order or by a detailed schedule, depending on the best interests of the children.

It is important to have a valid legal agreement in place to avoid any disputes that could arise. Even if you had an informal custody agreement with your former partner, this will not hold up in a court of law. You must take the time to ensure that you have a legally enforceable agreement before any issues can come up. Our attorneys can help draft an agreement that fits your family situation and review any existing agreement that may need to be enforced or modified.

Diligent Representation for Your Child Support Matters

Both parents have a legal duty to provide for the expenses in connection with the care of a child. This is often done through child support payments.

Child support is usually ordered to be paid by the non-custodial parent to the custodial parent who the children live with, regardless of whether the parties were ever married. It’s important to understand that any informal agreements made between you and the other parent concerning payments will not be enforceable unless it was ordered by the court.

There are many misconceptions about child support and what determines the amount – the calculations are simply based on a statutory formula that determines it based upon the income of the parents. However, there are several factors that a court will consider to raise or lower the amount of child support, which is where skilled legal representation is key. Our child support attorneys can help ensure your rights are protected when there are complexities involved and your income may not be straightforward.

Obtaining Child Support Modifications

If a child support order was previously entered by the court and your financial circumstances have changed, it is imperative to consult with an attorney who can advise you as to whether you may be able to get a modification. Our skilled attorneys will thoroughly review any agreement currently in place. We will assess it to provide you with solid legal advice concerning your situation and develop a litigation strategy that will help achieve a positive outcome to your modification needs.

Our Experienced & Compassionate Santa Maria Family Law Attorneys

The conflict that is often involved in a child custody or child support matter can be emotionally draining. We strive to reduce the amount of conflict and lessen the emotional and financial wear and tear on you. We take the time to understand your story and goals to develop a plan that allows your focus to remain on your family.

Our Santa Maria family law attorneys help clients with their child custody, visitation and support matters in Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County, across the Central Coast, as well as out-of-state clients with California cases. We are available to meet with clients in-person or remotely at their convenience. Contact us for a complimentary consultation to learn how we can help.