A skilled Fort Wayne attorney dedicated to your children’s well-being with an expertise in Indiana child support, child custody and parenting time.

Child Custody and Related Child Care Matters
(Including Parenting Time and Visitation)

Property has value, but children are priceless, and as such, custody and related matters are two of the most emotionally-laden issues that arise when marriages or other relationships fail.  Attention must be paid early to such critically important matters.

Child Support and Related Children’s Financial Issues
(Including College Contribution)

Parents are financially responsible for their children, which, in Indiana routinely provides for contribution towards the support of a child under the age of 19, and if disabled, perhaps longer. Postsecondary education expenses may be ordered as well. There are Child Support Guidelines required in all states, but frequently, special circumstances obtain which require the parties consider deviating from the Guidelines. This is a fact-sensitive area that requires extensive communication between the client and counsel.

Child Support Guidelines

Indiana law establishes general child support guidelines. We can help you understand the basis and structure of these guidelines and how they apply to you. We can help you obtain support payments that best accommodate your financial circumstances and most appropriately provide for your child’s needs.

Child Care Settlements through mediation

Through the structured process of mediation, couples can put aside their differences and focus on the one objective where they tend to agree — their children’s well-being. Mediation presents a forum for creating fair child support plans that allow both parents to share in the financial obligations of raising their children. We can guide the process toward equitable solutions.

Litigation of child support

In some cases, litigation is necessary for your child to receive fair financial support from both parents. We methodically prepare for litigation to achieve the most equitable support arrangement for your child.

Enforcement of child support

If your spouse has fallen behind on child support payments, you may need assistance to collect the money that rightfully belongs to your child. At the Law Office of Stephen P. Rothberg, we guide you through the process of enforcing your child support order.

Modification of child support

Financial problems may put you in a different financial situation than when you and your spouse divorced. However, you must continue to pay child support until the court modifies your order. We can help you expeditiously process a modification of your child support order so that you and your former spouse more equitably share in the expenses of raising your child.

Resolving issues vital to your child’s future

Child custody is one of the most difficult issues a parent faces during divorce. The Law Office of Stephen P. Rothberg is dedicated to protecting your rights to raise your child in a healthy, thriving environment. We represent families in Indiana in all aspects of child custody and visitation, including:

  • Primary and joint custody arrangements
  • Visitation and parenting time rights
  • Grandparent visitation
  • Modification of custody and parenting time orders
  • Enforcement of orders
  • Decisions related to upbringing of the child

Advantages of mediation on child custody matters

Children are best served when parents maintain a cordial relationship. Through the structured process of mediation, couples can often set aside hostility and agree on key decisions affecting their children. Mediation can be a highly effective tool for parents to preserve their children’s well-being and the stability of their lives during the turbulent process of divorce. Mediation takes some of the stress out of child custody conflicts and puts important child-rearing decisions in the hands of the parents rather than the court. We meticulously develop mediation strategies that carefully guide the negotiating process toward healthy resolution.

Litigation

In some cases, litigation is necessary to protect a child’s best interests. When one parent refuses to compromise or expresses hostility toward the other parent, negotiations fail. Sometimes a parent may even pose a danger to the child’s well-being. In these cases, litigation is the most appropriate forum for establishing parental rights. Our firm’s methodical approach to litigation enables you to feel confident that your children are protected and your parental rights are secure.

Contact an experienced Fort Wayne, Indiana family law attorney

Call the Law Office of Stephen P. Rothberg at 260-422-1526 or contact us online to schedule an appointment today.