Trusted Family Law Advocacy In Mississippi For More Than 30 Years

Understanding Child Custody And Child Support Arrangements

Although divorce affects over one-half of Americans, very few people have a concrete understanding of how most of the legal processes surrounding it work. Child custody and child support are each based on a number of factors, and it takes an experienced lawyer to help determine your arrangements.

At Suzanne Baker-Steele, Attorney At Law, P.L.L.C., we have over 30 years of experience representing clients throughout Biloxi and South Mississippi in child custody matters. Schedule your appointment by contacting us online or by calling 228-206-2055.

The Factors Of Child Custody

Overall, in the state of Mississippi, there are more than 20 factors that judges take into consideration when initial child custody is being determined, including:

  • Age of child
  • Gender of child
  • Parenting skills
  • Responsibility of parent’s job
  • Morals of the parents

When we work with clients, we are committed to making sure your story is accurately heard by the judges. They look at each factor and give parents a “one” or a “zero.” At the end, whichever parent has the most points wins. Those rankings can also be offset by the best interests of the child. This is the “polestar” consideration and is always the main factor considered by the judge.

The Child Support Formula

In Mississippi, child support payments are based on a statute. Although attorneys are not responsible for determining your payment amount, we can help give you an estimate of the amount you might be expected to pay. We also work with our clients to help ensure that all appropriate income is taken into consideration in the formula, but that only appropriate income is included.

The Correlation Between Child Custody And Support

Many clients ask us about the correlation between visitation and support. There is not one. You cannot withhold support payments if the other parent withholds visitation. The opposite is also true. You cannot withhold visitation if you do not receive your check.

Contact us online or call 228-206-2055 to schedule your appointment. We can help protect your parental rights at every stage of the process.