As a parent, you have a legal obligation to support your child. However, many parents who have difficulty paying child support are unsure whether this will prohibit them from seeing their child. If you have visitation rights under a California child custody agreement or court order, your right to see your child continues even if you are unable to pay support. Here’s what you need to know if you fall behind on your payments.

How California Child Custody Laws Protect Your Visitation Rights    

Non-Payment and Visitation

If someone tells you that being unable to pay your child support on time means that you can’t see your child, they’re wrong. Visitation and parenting time help parent-child relationships grow, so courts treat child custody and visitation issues separately from child support.

Your child’s other parent cannot refuse to let you see your child just because you aren’t making child support payments. In the same way, you cannot withhold child support if your child’s other parent is refusing to let you see your child in violation of the court’s child custody order.

Best Interest of the Child

As a parent who wants to be part of your child’s life, it’s in everyone’s best interest for you to stay connected to your child, even if you’re struggling to make payments. Money isn’t a prerequisite for spending time together, since there are plenty of free activities available in the Los Angeles area.    

Help for Changing Child Support Payments

If you’ve fallen behind in child support payments for reasons such as a long-term illness, an injury, a disability, or a job layoff, you may need to seek a change in child support payments. Every California county has free family law facilitators who can help you calculate support payments and seek a change.      

 

 

Protecting your visitation rights under a child custody order enables you to maintain a good parent-child relationship. At My Legal Teams Inc in Signal Hill, CA, child custody attorneys provide legal consultations to help people in Los Angeles County protect and enforce their parental rights. Backed by more than 30 years of experience practicing law, this team is equipped to assist you. To find out more about their services now, visit them online or call (562) 479-0900.