FAMILY LAW

Family Law is Complex...

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Doing your own divorce, custody or modification case can have serious long-lasting consequences.  Issues regarding real property, mortgages, debts, vehicles, retirement accounts, businesses, and other assets are sometimes not fixable if the original divorce is not done correctly.  You need accurate information and effective representation to help you navigate your legal case and avoid potentially catastrophic mistakes.  Doing your own divorce can be compared to doing your own dental work - it sounds like a joke, but it's not.  Don't hire a lawyer who dabbles in family law thinking that it's easy - hire a lawyer who primarily practices family law, like the attorneys at Royer & Assoc.

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Custody vs. Parenting Time vs. Child Support...

Custody (basically) grants a parent the right to chose which school the children attend, make modifications such as hair cuts and pierced ears, and authorize non-emergency healthcare. In Oregon, a judge may only award "joint custody" if both parents agree to it - if one parent insists on sole custody, then the judge cannot (by law) award joint custody.

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Parenting Time (basically) has little to do with "custody" - other than the custodial parent usually ends up with the majority of parenting time (but not always). If child support is awarded to one parent, and the other parent is failing to pay, the parent who is awarded child support is not permitted to suspend or deny parenting time for non-payment of support - and if they do, they may be potentially be held in contempt.

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Child Support (in Oregon) is (primarily) based on income levels and overnight parenting time. "Custody" has nothing to do with calculating child support. Other things than can factor into child support calculations are: non-joint children, insurance premium costs, daycare expenses, and certain rebuttal factors such as: ex's spouse's income, travel costs, ability to borrow, etc.

Please call today and schedule your FREE consultation to discuss how we can assist you.