Family Law

Child Support and Child Support Modifications

Each parent’s obligation to support their children financially considers various factors, such as time shared with each parent, your children’s needs, and each parent’s income. Changes in a parent’s income, housing situation, or the needs of your children can warrant changes to child support obligations.

Whether you’re looking to review and modify your child support matters by agreement, or if support obligations are disputed, we can help you navigate the support process and ensure fair and adequate support for your children.

Custody and Placement

Custody (sometimes called “legal custody”) refers to the legal right to make decisions for your children. Placement (sometimes called “visitation”) refers to the periods of time a child spends with each parent. While the court typically considers joint custody and shared placement to be in the best interests of the children, many factors can warrant sole custody or primary placement with one parent.

There are several options available when negotiating or litigating custody and placement rights. We will help ensure that your children’s best interests are properly presented and determined.

Paternity

In some situations, paternity needs to be legally established to determine placement and legal custody, establish child support, and protect the financial well-being and overall best interests of your child. Whether you’re seeking to establish or defend paternity for yourself, or you’re looking to establish the other parent’s paternity obligations, we can help you navigate the process.

In cases where parents wish to establish paternity by agreement, we can help mediate and establish paternity, custody, placement, and child support – often avoiding unnecessary court appearances.

Grandparents' Rights

While visitation rights to the children usually only involve the parents, in certain cases, grandparents may be granted rights to visitation when it is in the best interest of the children. We can review your situation, help you seek visitation rights with your grandchildren, and maintain that important intergenerational relationship.

Termination of Parental Rights and Adoptions

Termination of parental rights and adoptions often involve unique and complex circumstances.

• In cases of neglect, abuse, abandonment, or other law violations that warrant involvement of protective agencies, a parent can lose the right to make decisions for their child.
• In other situations, a parent’s rights can be terminated – either voluntarily or involuntarily under certain circumstances, and when a legal adoption – usually by a stepparent – occurs simultaneously.

In all cases of parental rights and adoption, the court’s goal is to meet the needs and best interests of the children involved, and often involves interviews and investigations, detailed reports, and processing of various legal documents. 

Whether you’re facing termination of your parental rights or seeking to terminate the rights of another parent and a stepparent adoption, our experience can help the process go smoothly, one step at a time.

Mediation Services

Attorney O'Connor is a Wisconsin State Certified Mediator in Divorce and Child Custody Cases, and offers mediation services to clients who wish to avoid formal and costly litigation at the onset of custody and placement disputes.

O'Connor Law Offices understands that family law issues are very sensitive and personal. We will take the time to understand your situation, clearly explain your legal rights, and provide you with all available options. Schedule a free consultation with us to discuss your situation, understand your legal rights, and get answers to your questions to help you determine your best course of action.