Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Is There a Limit on How Long You Can Pursue Child Support?
Parents need child support to provide a standard of living that promotes the health and welfare of the child. Struggling to make ends meet means fewer opportunities for the child, and often, less time with the parent, as he/she works extra hours in hopes of making up the difference. The other parent should not… Read More »
Basics of Child Custody
The process of divorcing from a spouse, regardless of how long the marriage lasted, can be considered a great unknown. Since most individuals go through this process only once in their lives, the process is a learning experience. Unfortunately, conventional wisdom, shaped not only by popular media but also by those who have gone… Read More »
Divorce and Home Financing
One thing many couples do, as soon as it possible, is buy a home together, usually with the idea of raising a family. This is a major purchase that is commonly financed through a note and home mortgage arrangement. Most home loans are scheduled to be paid off in 30 years and are written… Read More »
Biological Father Fighting Florida’s Paternity Laws
With the rate of marriage in the U.S. on the decline in recent years, the number of children born out of wedlock is increasing exponentially. The parentage laws that regulate who is considered a legal parent do not necessarily reflect the reality of this shift and can lead to complications when a biological father… Read More »
International Travel and Child Custody Issues
Travel is an important part of many people’s lives, and exposing one’s children to different places and cultures is something parents often strive to provide. However, where and how long a parent might take a child when custody is shared is often an issue of contention. The longer the child is gone, the harder… Read More »
Is It Ever Okay to Violate a Parenting Plan?
Sharing child custody is a long-term commitment that will go through inevitable ups and downs. Working with a former spouse or partner over something as important as raising a child is not easy to do, and a point may come when having anything to do with this person becomes almost impossible. In some instances,… Read More »
Navigating the Divorce of Adult Children
Divorce is hard on everyone remotely connected with the couple, and the closer the connection, the more difficult it is to accept the end of the marriage and how it will affect relationships forever. The parents of adult children getting divorced are particularly affected by this decision, and will likely experience profound sadness and… Read More »
When a Parent Takes Your Child Out of the Country
Sharing child custody will always present challenges, and as time passes and the circumstances of the lives of the parents and child change, what worked five years ago may no longer be relevant. Working together to find a compromise is the best way to avoid additional disputes and avoid disrupting the child’s life too… Read More »
How to Enforce an Alimony Award
Unless there is a prenuptial agreement, it rare for a person to emerge from divorce financially unscathed. Dividing property and paying support can never really be factored into an individual’s finances, and accounting for this big shift is not easy. This transition is even harder for spouses who lack a work history and/or training… Read More »
Rules for Modifying Child Support
Court-ordered child support is not an optional obligation, and the State will go to great lengths to force a parent to pay. Simply because a parent is struggling to pay support does not mean he/she can unilaterally choose to stop without violating the law. Changes to the payment of child support must be approved… Read More »
