| Voluntary Child Custody Proceedings under the Indian Child Welfare Act |
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| If there is a voluntary proceeding for foster care or adoptive placement of a child, who is of Native American descent, the Indian Child Welfare Act governs those proceedings. The Act permits the child's tribe to intervene in the voluntary proceedings and allows the tribe to transfer jurisdiction of the proceedings to the tribal court. Further, the Act requires strict procedures for consent to placement by the child's parents and includes the right to revoke the consent for any reason. More... |
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| Who May Seek Child Support Payments on Behalf of a Child? |
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| An order for child support may be entered in connection with a proceeding for dissolution of marriage, legal separation, maintenance, or child support. A court considers many factors including the financial resources of the custodial parent and the noncustodial parent. The order can require either parent or both parents to pay child support. Parents are equally responsible for the support of the children. Child support consists of a combination of periodic monetary support, the maintenance of health care insurance for the benefit of children, the payment of educational expenses of children, and the provision of various forms of security for support to protect against the payer's death, disability, or voluntary nonpayment. One parent can sue another parent in civil court for child support. More... |
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| Preference of Child in Custody Determinations |
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| In awarding or modifying custody, one of the factors considered by a court is the preference of a child, However, the extent to which the court will consider an expressed wish and how much weight the court will give that wish depends on the age and maturity of the child and the circumstances under which the choice was made. More... |
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| Joint Legal Custody Awards |
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| "Joint legal custody" means that both parents share the right and the responsibility to make the decisions relating to the health, education, and welfare of a child. More... |
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| Child Support in Shared Custody Cases |
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| Most child support guidelines present a formula for calculating child support where the parents share custody of the child or children. More... |
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