{"id":4815,"date":"2023-04-14T11:35:42","date_gmt":"2023-04-14T15:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/?page_id=4815"},"modified":"2023-05-02T15:20:56","modified_gmt":"2023-05-02T19:20:56","slug":"child-custody-and-child-support-lawyer","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/child-custody-and-child-support-lawyer\/","title":{"rendered":"Child Custody and Child Support Lawyer in Fairfax, Virginia"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"4815\" class=\"elementor elementor-4815\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9d4d438 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9d4d438\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-66 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-33e1455\" data-id=\"33e1455\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8a6290d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8a6290d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1>CHILD CUSTODY AND CHILD SUPPORT LAWYER IN FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA<\/h1><p>If you are involved in a dispute over child support or child custody in Fairfax, VA, it is extremely important to retain effective and knowledgeable legal counsel. Why? Because an adverse judgment could leave you financially destitute and\/or unable to see your children on a schedule you prefer.<\/p><p>The laws related to child custody and child support in Virginia can be quite complex.\u00a0 Below is an overview of important information you need to know.<\/p><h2><strong>Child Custody Laws in Virginia <\/strong><\/h2><p>In the Commonwealth of Virginia, there are a number of different <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/2018\/06\/25\/virginia-child-custody-101\/\">child custody arrangements<\/a> that can be approved by a court. The most common include:<\/p><ol><li>SOLE CUSTODY<\/li><li>JOINT CUSTODY<\/li><li>SPLIT CUSTODY<\/li><\/ol><p>When determining child custody, courts in Fairfax, and elsewhere in Virginia, typically look at which arrangement would be in the best interests of the child, or children. Factors commonly considered in determining what is in the best interests of the child, or children, include:<\/p><ul><li>AGE AND PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CONDITION OF THE CHILD<\/li><li>AGE AND PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CONDITION OF EACH PARENT<\/li><li>RELATIONSHIP EXISTING BETWEEN EACH PARENT AND EACH CHILD<\/li><li>THE ABILITY OF THE PARENTS TO COMMUNICATE AND COOPERATE<\/li><li>THE NEEDS OF THE CHILD<\/li><li>THE REASONABLE PREFERENCE OF THE CHILD<\/li><li>HISTORY OF FAMILY ABUSE<\/li><\/ul><p>Courts must consider all statutory factors when determining which child custody arrangement would be in the best interests of the child.<\/p><h2><strong>Modifying a Child Custody Arrangement <\/strong><\/h2><p>If you, or your ex-spouse, encounter a change in circumstances (e.g., a job loss, sudden decline or increase in income, relocation, etc.), then it may be possible to petition the court to have your child custody order modified. A court may modify a previous child custody order under certain circumstances, including:<\/p><ul><li>SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE IN THE CHILD\u2019S NEEDS<\/li><li>SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE IN EMPLOYMENT<\/li><li>THE INTENDED RELOCATION OF THE CUSTODIAL PARENT<\/li><\/ul><h2><strong>Overview of Visitation Rights<\/strong><\/h2><p>It is important to understand that the \u201cnon-custodial parent\u201d (i.e. the parent who is not awarded full custody) is entitled to visitation rights with their child, or children. The only exception to this general rule is if visitation would be detrimental to the best interests of the child, or children. In some instances, restrictions may be placed on the visitation arrangement, such as supervised visitation. Grandparents and other family members may also be granted visitation rights if it is deemed to be in the best interests of the child.<\/p><h3><strong>CHILD SUPPORT<\/strong><\/h3><p>Children have a legal right of support from both parents. To ensure that this right continues upon divorce, courts apply child support guidelines that dictate the amount a non-custodial parent must pay in child support. These guidelines are based primarily on the number of children, the combined monthly gross income of both parents, work-related day care costs, and insurance costs.<\/p><p>The non-custodial parent is typically required to continue paying <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/2018\/05\/25\/new-tax-implications-for-spousal-support-alimony\/\">child support<\/a> until the child turns 18 years old or upon the child\u2019s graduation from high school. In certain cases, however, such as where a child is incapacitated, the parent may be required to continue supporting the child throughout his or her entire life. Child support arrangements may be modified upon a change in circumstances, such as an increase in salary, loss of a job, and change in day care expenses. A modification of support only dates back to the filing and service of the request for modification with the court.<\/p><h2><strong>Calculating Monthly Child Support<\/strong><\/h2><p>The amount of child support a parent is required to pay is established by state law, specifically <a href=\"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/title20\/chapter6\/section20-108.2\/\">Virginia Code \u00a7 20-108.2<\/a>. The primary factor for establishing child support is the gross monthly income of the parent and the number of children who require support. It is presumed in Virginia that this amount is correct for a child support award, unless the parent disputing the calculated monthly amount submits evidence to the contrary. Fairfax courts also consider a variety of other financial factors when calculating\u00a0 a child support award, including:<\/p><ul><li>The custody arrangement for the child<\/li><li>Childcare costs incurred while a parent is attending school<\/li><li>Special needs of the child<\/li><li>Debts incurred during the marriage for the benefit of the child<\/li><li>The financial resources of the child<\/li><li>The child\u2019s standard of living while the parents were married<\/li><li>Earning capacity of each parent<\/li><\/ul><p>Additionally, the court will also consider any factor deemed relevant to the case.<\/p><h2><strong>Requesting Modification of Monthly Child Support<\/strong><\/h2><p>If you are paying child support, you have the right to petition the court to have the amount recalculated based upon a \u201cmaterial change\u201d in your circumstances. A \u201cmaterial change\u201d is typically an event or circumstance that impacts your monthly income. A material change may refer to a number of things. For example, a material change may mean your income suddenly decreased or the custodial parent\u2019s income increased dramatically. Alternatively, a material change may occur if one or more child has become emancipated and is no longer subject to the provisions of the original child support order. The party seeking to change support must show the material change justifies the requested modification in child support.<\/p><h2><strong>Take Action Today \u2013 Contact an Experienced Fairfax Family Attorney with the Dua Law Firm, PLLC <\/strong><\/h2><p>If you have a child, or children, and are confronting a contentious custody or child support dispute with your spouse, now is the time to take action. You want the best for your child and the best outcome possible in your divorce. This is why you should contact our office. The knowledgeable Fairfax child custody and child support attorneys with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/contact-us\/\">Dua Law Firm, PLLC<\/a>, are here to help you through this difficult and stressful time. Our legal team is experienced and has a track record of helping parents achieve the best child support and custody arrangements. Contact skilled Fairfax divorce attorneys Travis Van Hook or Raj Dua at (703) 382-7300 today to schedule a free, confidential consultation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-47f1b7c\" data-id=\"47f1b7c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9c1e9f6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-wp-widget-categories\" data-id=\"9c1e9f6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"wp-widget-categories.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h5>Categories<\/h5>\n\t\t\t<ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-40\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/category\/child-custody\/\">Child Custody<\/a> (1)\n<\/li>\n\t<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-39\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/category\/child-support\/\">Child Support<\/a> (1)\n<\/li>\n\t<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-43\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/category\/criminal-offense\/\">Criminal Offense<\/a> (2)\n<\/li>\n\t<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-38\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/category\/defense-attorney\/\">Defense Attorney<\/a> (5)\n<\/li>\n\t<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-35\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/category\/divorce-and-family-law\/\">Divorce and Family Law<\/a> (11)\n<\/li>\n\t<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-42\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/category\/dui\/\">DUI<\/a> (9)\n<\/li>\n\t<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-63\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/category\/estate-planning\/\">Estate Planning<\/a> (1)\n<\/li>\n\t<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-37\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/category\/larceny\/\">Larceny<\/a> (2)\n<\/li>\n\t<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-36\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/category\/protective-orders\/\">Protective Orders<\/a> (1)\n<\/li>\n\t<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-56\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/category\/public-intoxication\/\">Public Intoxication<\/a> (2)\n<\/li>\n\t<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-41\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/category\/reckless-driving\/\">Reckless Driving<\/a> (8)\n<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CHILD CUSTODY AND CHILD SUPPORT LAWYER IN FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA If you are involved in a dispute over child support or child custody in Fairfax, VA, it is extremely important to retain effective and knowledgeable legal counsel. Why? Because an adverse judgment could leave you financially destitute and\/or unable to see your children on a schedule [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_theme","meta":{"footnotes":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4815"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4815"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4815\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4924,"href":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4815\/revisions\/4924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dualawfirm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}