By Trevor Kassulke

Couples go through good times and bad. There are going to be ups and downs that each couple will have to face. However some people jump to the conclusion that they have to get a divorce. This may not have to be the case. For some couples it may be easy to get through the rough patches and for others, there is no end in sight.

If you are fighting a lot and never getting along, you may need to work on your relationship. Some people feel as if they are alone in their marriage and that they have no help or respect. These feelings can lead someone to feel as if they are not happy in their marriage anymore and it may open their eyes to getting help to resolve the issues that are making it hard to find the happiness that every couple deserves.

When you think that your marriage may be in trouble, you have to do whatever you can to make sure that you are coping with it as best as you can. Some people prefer to go through counseling when their marriage is in trouble.

Marriage counseling is a great option to try before thinking of divorce. Counselors help couples to discuss their problems and to find solutions that will work for both parties. For some couples this is the only help needed to get through rough times.

For some people marriage counseling isn’t the way to go. Some might want to try a one on one session with a therapist. This professional will discuss your situation and give you advice that can help you to become a better spouse. This is an option that people with anger management issues that are tearing apart the fabric of their marriage can use to help them fortify their relationship and avoid divorce.

It is possible that the problem you are having is a personal issue that one of you have and making some changes in how you live your life may help. A therapist can help you to discover areas that might need work as well as giving you advice as to how you can make the changes you need so that you can get your life back on track.

There needs to be two way communication going on in your marriage at all times, make sure that you are talking with your spouse and discuss any issues that you are having difficulties with. Don’t be afraid of letting your feelings show or letting your spouse know that you feel things need to change. When you have open communication your marriage will be stronger.

When none of the above work for you, it may be time to let go and get a divorce. You might have to do this so that you are able to be happy and have the life that you deserve. There is no reason to stay in a marriage that is not working for both of you and only bringing you down. You should be happy and you need to think about it so that you are able to feel better about your marital decision.

In his book on divorce and separation, Colin P Kaye explains why it is very important to be nice through a divorce and separation Visit his site and you can receive an quality no obligation report.

Article republished from Copy & Paste Articles

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Author: Deponex

Enforcing Parental Responsibility to Pay Child Support

If a parent does not obey a support order, he or she may be found in contempt of court. A contempt action may be filed against the non-custodial parent who fails to make support payments or does not maintain the required medical insurance. Non-custodial parents found in contempt of court may be fined, sentenced to jail or both. The judge may order the non-custodial parent who is unable to pay to enroll in the Fatherhood Program. In addition, the non-custodial parent is still obligated to pay the full amount of past-due support. The child support order may also be enforced through:
• Withholding child support from paychecks, unemployment or weekly worker’s compensation benefits.
• Intercepting federal and/or state income tax refunds.
• Reporting parents owing $7,500 or more in child support payments to credit bureaus.
• Suspending or revoking driver’s, professional or occupational licenses for failure to pay child support.
• Reviewing and changing child support orders periodically.
• Intercepting lottery winnings of more than $5,000.
• Filing contempt of court actions, which may result in a jail sentence if the non-custodial parent is found in contempt of court.
• Filing liens to seize matched bank accounts, lump sum worker’s compensation settlements and real or personal property.
• Denying, suspending or revoking the passport of someone who owes more than $5,000 in child support.

Source: http://www.articleheaven.com/article_552027_18.html

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The existence of children is caused by impregnation, wherein two parties, male and female, are involved. Child support laws exist on the premise that the cause is responsible for the effect, which determines who will be responsible for ensuring that children enjoy the financial security of a two-parent home: namely, the biological mother and father.

An Introduction to Child Support Law and Guidelines

Because the moral basis for child support laws are so self-evident, they have not suffered questioning or debate; and, as a result, it has been possible for the state to formulate a standard equation (called a guideline) that, in all cases, determines who will pay child support and how much that child support will be. Simply, it balances the difference of each parent’s income against the difference in time that the children spend with each parent, while accounting for the number of children involved. (See the link at the end of this article for a child support calculator.)

Moral Basis of Child Support Laws:

1. Children should enjoy the financial security that a two-parent home would have afforded them.

2. A cause is responsible for its effect. In this case, biological parents are the cause that effects a child.

While the primary function of child support laws is to ensure that children are provided for, the principle of responsibility ensures that neither of the responsible parties is taken advantage of in the process, and the equation reflects this.

The Intended Fairness of Child Support Decisions

Because child support rulings have become so standardized as to follow a set equation, the litigation process is mostly concerned with defining the variables of income and time spent in custody of children. While these two factors seem straightforward, they are not. Establishing either of these in court is a matter of some expertise. And should either of these factors be misrepresented, the monthly amount due in child support will vary greatly, most likely to one’s long-term disadvantage; or, if misrepresented in one’s favor, whether intentionally or not, could be grounds for a charge of perjury. (Also, there is the issue of paternity and maternity, but science makes this a simple matter of DNA analysis.)

The fairness of a child support decision depends on the full and accurate representation of one’s financial circumstances and custody allotment at the time of the decision. Provided that these two factors have been accurately represented, the guideline will yield a fair decision for all parties. But, should anyone’s financial circumstances change or should the time that the children spend with each parent change, the ruling that was previously fair and balanced will have become unbalanced and unfair. Therefore, it is important that child support orders be updated when circumstances change.

Exceptions to a State’s Child Support Guidelines

There are exceptions to the use of the state’s guideline or standard formula. If both parents agree to a non-guideline amount, and if the judge agrees that the amount is in the interest of the children involved, this amount can serve as the court’s ruling, in place of the default or guideline amount.

Possible Rulings in a Child Support Case:

* Guideline Ruling: with the assistance of their attorneys, both parties establish their income and custody allotment. The judge then plugs these factors into a state formula called a guideline, yielding the child support amount.

* Non-Guideline Ruling: though both parties have been informed what the guideline ruling would have been, they agree to an alternative amount. The judge decides whether or not this amount is in the interest of the child/children, and, if it is, this becomes the child support amount.

What To Do When Parental Support or Circumstances Change

If you should be receiving child support and are not, or if you are receiving child support but either your or your former spouse’s financial or custodial circumstances have changed since the ruling, consider the following courses of action.

Anyone receiving public assistance may contact his/her local Child Support Services center in order to open or reopen a child support case. Otherwise, one has the option of representing oneself in court or hiring a family law attorney.

While one is entitled to represent one’s self in court, this is never advisable. The law and its procedures are highly complex, with many nuances, and ignorance of the law is never acknowledged. The judge will proceed as if you know the law completely, and every statement you make or don’t make will hold you accountable as if you had a license to practice law.

Possible Courses of Action:

* Contact Local CSS: if you are receiving public assistance, the local Child Support Services will handle your child support case, as well as the enforcement of a prior case.

* Hire an Attorney: if you are not receiving public assistance, this option is strongly advised, in order to ensure that you are, in all respects, properly represented and receive a fair ruling.

* Represent One’s Self: this option bypasses the fees involved with hiring an attorney, but misrepresentation due to ignorance of the law could result in far greater financial consequences in the form of a higher child support amount, or even charges of perjury.

In Conclusion…

The law has concluded that it takes a male and a female to conceive a child. Therefore, the law recognizes that both parties conducted their affairs in such a way as to bring a child into the world, so both parties have a responsibility to the child to provide parental care and support. Both parents remain legally responsible for the care of their children until the child is 18 years of age, or until all children have passed their 18th birthday.

But, in the course of a child’s upbringing, the financial circumstances of one or both parents might change. Job promotion or loss could significantly affect a parent’s income status in such a way as to nullify the fairness of the original child support judgment. Either party has the right to request their child support case to be reevaluated by a judge, taking into account the current financial condition of the parties involved.

If you are concerned about the validity of your case, please consult an attorney for advice.

Written by Amerion Abler. If you need a California family law attorney, contact the Law Offices of Dishon & Block, APC at 877-347-7658 or www.cadivorce.com.

A grandparent DNA test helps to confirm the relationship between a child and an alleged grandparent. This test is based on the fact that a child receives half its DNA from each parent and that parent in turn receives half its DNA from each of its parents. A portion of the grandparents DNA is therefore passed on to the child and it is this which can be tested to prove whether a child really is a grandchild or not.

A grandparent DNA test may be done using samples from one or both grandparents on one side, the child, and preferably a parent. Some grandparent DNA tests may require that both grandparents be tested, while others allow for just one grandparent to be tested.

Grandparent DNA tests are done in the same way as other DNA tests and can be ordered through a laboratory that does grandparent DNA testing or online. DNA samples are then collected, generally through a swab of the inner cheek. These samples are sent to the laboratory and the geneticists will compare the DNA samples from the grandparents, grandchild and parent (where possible).

Grandparent DNA tests are generally done when the alleged father (the grandparent’s son) is missing or deceased and the grandparents still want to (or need to) know whether the child is biologically related to them. It can also be done in the case where the mother is unavailable and her parents are tested to see if they are related.

If grandparent DNA testing is done for legal reasons you will need to ensure that there are witnesses to the DNA sampling and so it is usually necessary in these cases for the DNA tests to be done in a laboratory. If it just for piece of mind you can order a home DNA test kit and take your own samples to send to the laboratory.

In conclusion, grandparent DNA testing helps to establish the relationship between a child and its alleged grandparents. This is done by collecting samples from one or both grandparents on one side, the child, and preferably a parent. These samples are then analyzed by the laboratory who can tell by comparing the DNA samples how likely it is that the child is the grandchild of the alleged grandparents.

Learn more about genealogy test on our site. You’ll also find other information such as paternity testing and DNA test labs. GeneticDNATestingHelp.org is a comprehensive resource for people who are interested in gentic DNA testing for paternity, genealogy, or medical reasons.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_Fuller

The Guidelines also presume that a standard parenting plan is being implemented. In Washington, a standard parenting plan is one that involves one party having primary custody and the other party having residential visitation every other weekend from Friday to Sunday, with alternating holidays and two to three weeks in the summer. If a standard parenting plan is not being implemented, then one party may be entitled to claim a “residential credit” for any additional overnights beyond the standard parenting plan. If the parties are splitting the children up, this creates a separate situation where specific split custody factors must be considered.

The Washington State Child Support Guidelines also allow for a judge to consider other factors such as the income of a new spouse or support paid by one of the parties for a child that is from another relationship. But these and any other considerations are very secondary to the three primary factors detailed above.

If you have questions about child support, particularly if you have questions about the residential credit or split custody, it is best to consult with an experienced Washington divorce lawyer. Any Washington divorce attorney with the resources and experience to properly advise you should have a software program that automatically calculates child support based upon the Guidelines and the most recently updated tax tables. With some basic information, they should be able to give you a pretty good rough estimate of what is a proper presumed amount of support under the Washington State Child Support Guidelines

Washington Child Support and the Parties’ Income

The single most important factors in the determination of child support are the incomes of the Parties. The child support calculation begins with the parties’ gross income. From this gross income figure, federal income and all withholding taxes are deducted. The Washington State Guidelines also allow for other deductions such as union dues, health insurance and retirement funding, though the latter category is capped by statute.

After arriving at each party’s net incomes, the Guidelines then add them together. This final combined net income figure then results in a presumed amount of total support for both parties. The Guidelines then take this presumed amount of support and divide it between the parties based on the pro-rata percentage that each combined to the total net income.

It works like this. First of all, please note that these figures are purely for illustrative purposes and ARE NOT based on the actual Washington State Guidelines. Let’s say for example that mom makes $80,000 per year in net income, and dad makes $20,000 per year in net income. This gives us a total of $100,000 per year in net income. And, let’s further say that the guidelines presume a monthly support figure of $1,000 for a child whose parents make $100,000 per year combined. In this scenario, mom’s contribution to the total net income is 80% and dad’s is 20%.

Therefore, if dad had primary custody under a standard Washington parenting plan, the mother would be obligated to pay the father 80% of presumed $1,000 monthly support figure, or $800 per month. Mom would also be responsible for 80% of any work-related day-care costs incurred by dad.

Work-related Day Care Expenses

Washington State’s child support statutes specifically require that the non-custodial parent pay the same pro-rata percentage of work-related daycare expenses that they are required to pay for the presumed amount of support. Often, this figure is calculated directly into the child support transfer payment. For example, in the scenario detailed above, mom is responsible for 80% of the presumed amount of child support under the Washington State Child Support Guidelines. If dad also incurred work-related daycare expenses in the amount of $1,000 per month, then mom would also be required to pay 80% of those daycare expenses.

As noted above, the final transfer payment in the Order of Support often directly incorporates any daycare expenses. If it does not, then the other parent typically reimburses the daycare provider directly upon either being invoiced or upon proof of payment by the custodial parent. This latter scenario has the advantage of being flexible throughout the year, as daycare expenses often fluctuate, particularly in the summer months. This scenario also avoids the predicament of the custodial parent receiving more than they should have when daycare costs are actually less than the amount set in the Order of Support. If the non-custodial parent overpays for daycare, they are entitled to a full reimbursement and are often awarded attorney’s fees if they are forced to go to court over the issue.

Health Insurance

The issues of the cost of health insurance premiums and their role in the calculation of child support pursuant to the Washington State Guidelines are complicated. On the one hand, both parents are deemed to have an obligation to provide health insurance if it is available to them below certain cost. Often, however, one parent provides the health insurance for the child or children. Under this scenario, the parent paying the monthly premium will likely be entitled to some pro-rata, or proportional offset based on their relative percentage of net income, as detailed above.

In more practical terms, it works like this. Children’s health insurance premiums that are not paid by an employer or a third party, together with children’s health care expenses that are not reimbursed by insurance, are added together to determine if their sum exceeds five percent of the presumed amount under the guidelines. If so, the additional amount is deemed “extraordinary”. Extraordinary amounts are then proportioned to the respective parents by their respective ratio of incomes, and the parent paying the medical premiums is entitled to a corresponding credit for their payments. For additional information regarding health insurance premiums and actual out-of-pocket expenses, it is important to speak with an experienced Washington divorce attorney.

Article Source: http://www.myarticlesdirectory.com

Jason Newcombe is an experience divorce lawyer and a renowned Washington divorce lawyer. Leading his firm, the attorneys at Seattle Divorce Lawyer know that choosing the right divorce lawyer may be one of the most important decisions of your life. We are your Washington State divorce experts in all child custody and child support issues.