Boise Divorce Attorneys - Family Law Lawyers

For divorce and custody issues, please call (208) 472-2383 today.

As a Boise Divorce Attorney, I deal regularly with issues outside of the divorce arena but still well within the purview of Family Law.  Paternity and custody are examples of this.  Paternity issues often arise outside of the marriage or divorce context. 

If a child is born to an unmarried couple the issue of paternity and custody need to be determined.  Often people approach the visitation between parties and any child support payments in an informal context.  This generally works amiably until conflict arises and then inevitably visitation is denied and custody is threatened.  Attorneys are generally then called in to "fix" the situation.

The first step that needs to be taken when a child is born out of wedlock is to establish paternity.  There is a simple and fairly inexpensive test to determine who the father of the child is.  Establishing paternity is important because it can set the stage for child support, custody and visitation.  If the mother is on medicaid, the State of Idaho and their attorneys will automatically proceed with this step. It is important to establish paternity so that the responsibility of financial support can be directed to the right person. 

Once it is clear that the father is the father of the child, child support can be established, based upon the Idaho child support guidelines and the respective incomes of the parents.  The lawyers on both sides will also move forward with establishing custody and visitation.  This can be done through mutual agreement or by a finding of the court.  The factors that go into establishing custody and visitation are the same factors that Idaho judges use for custody determination in divorce cases.

If you have a family law issue and need to speak to a Boise Divorce Attorney, please call (208) 472-2383 today.