Advocates For Your Children And Your Parental Rights

Divorcing parents often have deep disagreements over child custody and child support. These legally complex and emotionally tangled disputes can escalate quickly.

Zentz & Roberts, P.C provides clear advice, compassionate guidance and strong representation in custody proceedings and all issues involving children. Our family law practice is devoted to helping families manage these conflicts and changes in a positive and productive way. Our experienced lawyers provide mediation, negotiation and litigation services, customized to your situation.

Let’s discuss your custody concerns: Start with a free consultation at our Indianapolis office. Call today at 317-678-9463.

Determining Child Custody And Parenting Time

If parents cannot come to an agreement on how to divide parenting duties, the family court will decide. Physical custody refers to where the child will live. One parent will typically have primary physical custody, and the other parent will be granted regular parenting time (visitation). Legal custody refers to the authority to make decisions on behalf of the child regarding education, health care and religious upbringing. In most situations, the court awards joint legal custody, meaning both parents have input in those decisions.

The court considers many factors in determining primary custody when parents get divorced. These include the mental fitness and home environment of each parent, proximity of the parents’ homes, a spirit of cooperation, the child’s bond with each parent, who has been the primary caregiver, and the preference of older children to live with one parent or the other. The court will also consider any history of domestic violence, including child abuse or neglect. As your attorneys, our role is to advocate for you in this process to assert your parental rights and protect the best interests of your children.

We also help you work out the details of the parenting agreement, which governs everything from custody exchanges and extracurricular activities to the logistics of holidays and vacations.

Getting It Right For Child Support

Child support is based on a statutory formula that considers the parents’ incomes, the number of children, the ratio of parenting time and any special needs of the child. We ensure the court has accurate financial information for both parents so that child support is fair and reasonable. We have gone to court to argue for or against a deviation from the child support guidelines.

We Handle All Issues Involving Children And Families

Our attorneys are well versed in all custody and support matters under Indiana law, including:

• Department of Child Services cases (helping parents regain custody after DCS removal)
• CHINS interventions (Child in Need of Services) for abuse or neglect
• Petitions for custody by grandparents or other extended family
• Paternity actions for child support or visitation rights
• Parent relocation (moving the kids away from Indiana)
• Enforcement of child support or visitation orders
• Modification of child support
• Modification of custody orders or parenting plans

Attentive Counsel For Families In Turmoil

Although our lawyers deal with these issues every day, we know these are tense times for you and your kids. We strive to educate and support our clients throughout the process to alleviate their stress and help them make good decisions.

We provide a free initial consultation. Call our Indianapolis law office at 317-678-9463 to schedule a time or use our online form to tell us about your situation. Ask about our flexible payment plans to ensure you have timely access to the quality legal representation you need.