Ending a marriage means changing a number of aspects in multiple people’s lives. When parents are going through divorce, they have even more concerns than those without children. Child custody and support payments are often at the forefront of the decisions that need making, and the outcomes can depend heavily on the details of each case.
Because children often benefit more from having relationships with both parents, many Utah residents are likely open to the idea of joint custody. Of course, reaching the terms of this arrangement may not be easy, and at this time, joint custody is not the standard accepted arrangement in the state. As a result, parents will need to work together or go through court proceedings to decide on joint custody or other feasible agreements.
If joint custody is the agreed-upon arrangement, the next concern will likely center around child support. If the custody terms result in almost equal parenting time, the need for child support may not exist. However, there may be some need if one parent has slightly more parenting time than the other. Some individuals may think that no parent should have to pay more than $500 each month in support, in cases of joint custody, because it costs approximately $1,000 per month to raise a child. Of course, such outcomes will differ from case to case.
Finding the best terms for any type of divorce agreement can be difficult. Many factors can affect these results, including state laws. Utah parents concerned over the potential outcomes of their cases may want to discuss their options with their legal counsel to determine their best courses of action.