Child Support Issues: From the Perspective of a Legal Secretary

Man meets woman, man marries woman. Somewhere down the line, the love is lost and a divorce is inevitable. Lucky couples haven't had children yet, so things are much easier. But for most, the love they once had is reflected in a kid or two that are caught in the middle of a custody battle.

From my experience working in a law office that concentrated in domestic issues, I can tell you that for the most part, clients simply could not separate the issues of divorce, support and custody in their mind. In reality, all are completely separate, yet interrelated components. Divorce ends the bonds of matrimony and usually will equitably distribute real and personal property. Support payments to an ex-spouse for alimony or child are separate from the issues dealing with real and personal property and should remain so. Custody of children should be negotiated separately as well, but often times Support becomes an issue since the amount of support given to the other spouse is determined by the percentage of time the other has custody of the child. Ultimately a 50-50 split will generally mean that neither party has to pay support to the other.