Any experienced family law attorney will tell you that unmarried New Hampshire parents need parenting plans – especially if they are not cohabitating. In 1980, 18.4% of children were born out of wedlock. As of 2019 the number has increased to 40%.
Sure, everything might be going just fine in the beginning. You are not married, but you are happily co-parenting and perhaps even cohabitating. But what happens if things stop going well?
Without A Parenting Plan, The Police Cannot Help
Imagine one day, the mother or father of your child decides that they no longer want to live with you. They take the child and move out. What are your rights to see your child? Absent a court ordered parenting plan, you are going to be out of luck in New Hampshire.
If the other parent refuses to let you see your child and you call the police, they will ask “do you have a parenting plan?” If the answer is “no” then you will get the police will respond by saying “there’s nothing we can do. You need to go to family court and get a parenting plan”
What if the other parent takes your child to another state, claims and seeks emergency jurisdiction under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Enforcement Act (UCCJEA)? Having a parenting plan already in place in New Hampshire is going to help you.
You Need A Parenting Plan To Get Child Support
What if you and the other parent live separately? Maybe there are not any parenting issues, but instead the other parent is not providing you with the financial support you need to provide for your child? If you don’t have a parenting plan, that means you don’t have a child support order.
If you don’t have a child support order, the other parent is not legally obligated to provide you with any support! And don’t let your guard down just because the other parent has always given you money for the child when you need it. Without a parenting plan and child support order, they can stop paying you support at any time.
Seek Experienced Legal Counsel To Protect Your Children
Having children out of wedlock is the norm these days, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t protect yourself and your child. Call the experienced attorneys at Bernazzani Law today for a free 30-minute consultation to determine if filing a petition for parenting plan and child support order makes sense for your situation.