Orange County Child Custody Attorney

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to pay child support for in California?
Child support is typically paid until a child reaches his or her 18th birthday. If, however, a child has educational or medical needs, child support may need to be paid for an extended period (this may be determined by the courts.)

Do I have to pay child support even if I am not allowed to visit or see my child?
Yes. You must pay court-ordered child support even when you are not allowed to see your child. If a parent is in violation of a child custody agreement you can go back to court and ask a judge to enforce or modify the agreement.

What will happen if I fail to pay child support?
If you fail to pay court-ordered child support a judge can enforce the order by requesting that all past due child support be paid immediately. If you still do not pay the child support, you can be arrested and sent to jail, have your driver’s license suspended, have fines enforced and face probation. In addition, you must still pay the back child support (known as “arrears”).

What happens if I am not paid child support as ordered by the courts?
You can contact an Orange County child support attorney immediately so the attorney can ask a judge to enforce the original child support agreement. If the other parent still fails to pay, they may face incarceration along with many other penalties. Contact my firm to learn more about child support and enforcement in Orange County family law courts.

Why should I hire a family law attorney?
When facing family law issues, it is to your benefit to hire an Orange County family lawyer. This will allow for your parental rights to be legally protected throughout every phase of the family court process. As an experienced family law lawyer, I have almost 15 years of legal experience representing parents facing family law issues, including child custody, child support and adoption. Please contact my firm today for a free consultation of your family law case.

How does a judge decide who to award custody to?
When awarding child custody, the judge will always base his or her decision on what would be in the best interest of the child. The judge will also look to determine which parent he or she feels would provide the most secure household both emotionally and financially for the child. In addition, there are several other factors that will play a major role in determining child custody, which will depend upon the unique facts and circumstances of your child custody case.

Can my children decide which parent they want to live with?
A family law court will typically ask the opinion of a child who is at least 12 years of age what his or her preference is as to who to live with. The judge will then take the child’s opinion into consideration, also looking at the facts of the case when making a final decision and ruling on child custody.

What types of adoption are there?
There are several types of adoption available to people looking to adopt a child into their family. Domestic adoption, international adoption, private adoption, agency adoption, independent adoption and inter-family adoption are all forms of adoption. An Orange County adoption attorney can inform you of important facts about adoption and whether or not you may meet the qualifications necessary to proceed.

Orange County Family Law & Custody Lawyer

The Law Office of Kevin B. Gibbs is located in Anaheim and Newport Beach, California. Please contact me immediately to schedule a free case consultation if you or someone you love is in need of legal representation for family law issues in Orange County or Riverside County, California, including Orange, Santa Ana, Irvine, Anaheim, Yorba Linda, Newport Beach, La Habra, and Anaheim Hills.

Questions about child custody in Orange County, California? Contact attorney Kevin B. Gibbs today!