Child Custody / Support

Child Custody

Child Custody after Parents’ separate is certainly one of the most difficult aspects of any divorce. The effect of divorce on their lives, how it will shape their future, and other worries concern parents undergoing divorce. Breaking up a family brings loss, and determining custody is often fraught with upset and emotion. However, because parents love their children, they ultimately want what is best for them.

The difficulty in facing child custody and support issues is something our family law attorneys deeply understand, and we strive to lessen the impact and help clients arrive at decisions that are in the best interests of their children. Our attorneys demystify confusions regarding child support by describing how support is determined, calculated and regulated under California law. We provide clear explanations of legal options regarding custody, such as joint or sole legal custody and physical custody.  Additionally, when we need to fight for our clients’ rights we provide strong representation in custody and child support proceedings, including Interstate Jurisdictional Disputes and the so-called “Move Away” cases.

Child Support

Establishing the true income of the parents has become the focus of a vast amount of child support litigation. California has a Public Policy that Children should share in the Lifestyles of their Parents. Thus, California courts use the broadest definition of “income” in order to calculate child support payments. By broad definition of “income”, we mean income from whatever source derived, including business “perks”, imputed income of a parent not working up to his/her reasonable income capacity, and possibly a reasonable rate of return on a passive real estate holding or other investment. It can also include the gross income of a small business taking into account only a very limited number of deductions (far less than the IRS might approve).

At the Law Offices of Paula S. Teske, our clients come first and we take your issues to heart. For assistance with child custody or child support issues, please send us an email or phone our office at 310-391-6800. We will be glad to arrange a consultation to discuss your concerns.