Family Matters: (Child Custody/Child Support)
Children are the most valuable parts of our lives. Their safety and welfare should be the primary concern to both parents. Child custody is one of the hardest situations that divorce brings. It also brings a complicated set of questions.
What if one of the custodial parents may not be a suitable caregiver?
Have they been supporting the child financially or do they claim no money or employment?
Are they cohabitating with a new partner against a court or divorce agreement while you are paying alimony?
Is a parent following the custody agreement? Is such an agreement in place? Does someone believe that the agreement isn’t being followed?
Is the lifestyle or environment of one of the parents inappropriate for your child?
Such a discovery may be grounds to reduce or eliminate the alimony payment, change the terms of visitation, or modify an existing agreement. Perhaps a parent is in a questionable relationship exposing the child to an unhealthy environment. All too often a parent will become involved with a new partner without considering the impact that the person will have on their child or the background of that person.
Child Custody Basics
Some of the basics about child custody from Attorneys.com:
In marriage, parents in South Carolina have equal power, rights, and duties regarding their children. However, under South Carolina child custody law, divorce can drastically change that. In addition, if the parents were never married, then custody is solely with the mother unless the father goes to court.
Litigating custody is usually emotional and often expensive. Courts prefer that parents work out a custody arrangement between themselves. But if they cannot, then judges will make the decision for the parents, who must adhere to the judges order.
South Carolina judges deciding child custody will always look out for the best interest of the child. Even when divorcing parents come up with their own custody arrangement, the judge will review it to make sure it serves the children well.
Children in single-parent households often spend a significant amount of time with a babysitter or nanny. However, are they suitable to care for your child? We have all heard the horrible stories of children being injured or killed by a person we trusted to care for our child.
These are all valid questions and concerns that as parents we need to address. An investigation into any one or a combination of these issues protects the welfare of your child. You need to know who is spending time with your child.
Our discreet investigations can assist in answering these questions. Additionally, we can monitor and
document their lifestyle, living conditions, daily activities or associates.