Divorce can be tough for everyone involved and decisions made for children after divorce can be equally hard. If you need guidance with these choices, our attorney can help you.
Decisions Made for Children After Divorce | Health Insurance for the Children
Parents often ask me as an experienced Saratoga Child Custody Attorney, whether they can keep their kids on their health insurance until they reach 26, and the answer is a qualified yes. Generally, so long as they qualify, parents can keep their children covered on their health insurance. The Child Support Standards Act, which is the law that governs child support, says “until 21, unless sooner emancipated;” however, for purposes of this question, you don’t need to worry about that. Two parties can agree between themselves to maintain their children’s health insurance beyond 26 – and can consent to make an ongoing contribution – but that is by consent or agreement between the parties. The court will not order it.
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Decisions Made for Children After Divorce | Where Your Child Goes to College
As a dedicated Saratoga Child Custody Lawyer, I often have conversations with clients whose children are about to attend college. When it comes to payment for and selection of a child’s college, families may approach the issue in their own unique way. We typically advise our clients to think through how they might have approached this issue if they and their spouse had not separated or divorced. While the court will not order the child to get their parents’ permission prior to selecting a college, a negotiated agreement often includes language that outlines the way the college will be selected, how each parent will be involved in the process, and whether or not the parents’ obligation to pay for that college is contingent on their having some level of consent as to the selected college.
Decisions Made for Children After Divorce | Passport for Your Child
Clients often ask if they can obtain a passport for their child and, if both parents consent, the answer is always yes. If both parents do not consent, the matter may need to be resolved in court because, until a child reaches a certain age, both parents must actually be present to obtain a passport. Further, up to another age both parents actually have to sign the paperwork for the passport. Neither parent can simply apply to obtain a child’s passport without permission from the other parent or a court.
If you are looking for strong legal representation for your divorce, please call our Saratoga divorce attorney today.
