Buying and Selling Time with Children

Parents in a divorce or paternity action will oftentimes fight over the number of overnights their child gets to spend with them. Sometimes this is because the parent wants more time with their child. Other times it is all about money. This is because the number of overnights a child spends with each parent is a heavily weighted factor in the formula used to calculate child support. Simply put, the more nights a child spends with a parent, the more money that parent will receive, or avoid having to pay to the other parent, in child support.

For example, a standard time-sharing schedule with the mother as the majority time-sharing parent may result in the mother receiving $1,000.00 per month in child support from the father. But the father may want to spend 50% of the time with his child. During negotiations the mother may agree to give the father 50% of the time, but only if the father agrees to still pay the $1,000.00 per month in child support that is based on much less time with the child.

These cases are not uncommon and can be frustrating both for the party seeking more time with their child and the attorneys involved in the case. At the Albaugh Law Firm, we are experienced in dealing with this type of child custody issue. Call us today for a free consultation.