As the weather warms and spring gets closer, many people take time to refresh and renew. Some people do spring cleaning and get rid of items they don’t need anymore. Others hit the mall to get some new spring and summer fashions. As family law attorneys, we’d like to remind you of some other things you might want to consider (or reconsider) as the season changes.
The first two considerations specifically relate to unmarried or divorced parents with children. If you have a child that will be graduating from high school in 2014 or 2015 it might be a good idea to consult an attorney about how (and/or if) you and the child’s other parent will afford college. There are time limits on when requests for post-secondary education expenses may be filed, so you want to be sure you know when the deadline in your case is, and that you file before that. (In many cases, the deadline is the expiration of the order of child support.) If your child will be graduating in 2014, you will want to consider this issue a priority! If you are going to speak with an attorney, you will want to do so as soon as possible.
The second consideration for parents is whether they have their residential time with their child planned out for summer vacation. Many parenting plans require that dates for residential time be communicated to the other party during the spring. This can vary, and some plans require it even earlier. This is also a time you might want to consider whether a modification of your parenting plan has become necessary. It might be possible to get a modified plan in place prior to summer break.
The last thing to we encourage people to consider during the season change is whether they have any other family law issue that has been festering and could be “cleaned out” of their life. This can mean speaking with an attorney about a prenuptial agreement, beginning dissolution proceedings, starting a parentage case, or asking that a previous order be modified. Too often, people procrastinate and fail to deal with these important issues in a timely manner. Unfortunately, there are instances when delaying addressing a family law issue can adversely impact your case, and your life.
If you would like to talk to us about any family law issue, please contact us.