Many people who parent a child out of wedlock want to believe that something “official” like a court-ordered child custody arrangement is not necessary. Particularly if the parents are getting along at the time of the child’s birth, they may not think that they need to pursue a formal arrangement. And while that may work for some people, it backfires more often than not.
Even if you are getting along today, you may not be in a year, two years, or 10 years. Things change all the time, as do emotions – and leaving your child’s future to chance is almost never a good idea. It is far better to take care of business right from the start. Establish parentage or paternity, and then go the formal route of having child support and custody arrangements written up in either a mediated agreement that is enforceable by the courts or in a court order.
First, child support is the right of the child, not the parents – so establishing that early is important. It may need to be modified as financial circumstances change over the years, but get it established from the start to nip any disagreements in the bud. And as far as custody, it is far better to iron that out while everyone is in agreement than to wait until things get ugly. You can always petition for modification later, but only very significant changes in circumstances can warrant such a change. Get help from a trusted Clarksville family law attorney at Batson Nolan PLC.