Family Law

1. Child Custody and Support
   1. Determining Custody Arrangements
      1. Joint Custody
         1. Definition and structure
         2. Types: Legal vs Physical custody
         3. Decision-making responsibilities
         4. Sharing time equally or proportionally
         5. Benefits and challenges
         6. Impact on child's adjustment
      2. Sole Custody
         1. Definition and structure
         2. Criteria for awarding sole custody
         3. Primary custodian's rights and responsibilities
         4. Limited visitation for non-custodial parent
         5. Challenges and possible effects on child
         6. Legal implications and enforcement
      3. Shared Parenting Plans
         1. Customizing arrangements to family needs
         2. Modifying plans as circumstances change
         3. Importance of clear communication
         4. Mediation services for dispute resolution
         5. Role of parenting coordinators
      4. Temporary Custody Arrangements
         1. Situations warranting temporary custody
         2. Legal processes for temporary orders
         3. Transitioning to permanent custody
         4. Evaluating temporary arrangements
         5. Handling emergencies and travel concerns
   2. Best Interests of the Child Standard
      1. Definition and origin
      2. Factors considered by courts
         1. Child's age and health
         2. Emotional ties with parents and siblings
         3. Continuity and stability in child's life
         4. Parents' capacity to meet needs
         5. Child's own wishes (age-appropriate consideration)
      3. Evaluating parental fitness
         1. Mental and physical health assessments
         2. Lifestyle and habits impacting the child
         3. History of involvement in the child's life
      4. Legal precedents influencing decisions
      5. Challenges in evenly applying the standard
   3. Visitation Rights
      1. Types of visitation
         1. Supervised vs unsupervised visitation
         2. Virtual visitation arrangements
         3. Holiday and vacation planning
      2. Establishing a visitation schedule
         1. Balancing flexibility and consistency
         2. Handling missed or altered visitations
         3. Adjusting to the child's changing needs
      3. Enforcement of visitation orders
         1. Legal recourse for denied visitation
         2. Modifications to visitation orders
         3. Therapeutic visitation
      4. Rights of grandparents and extended family
         1. Legal standing for seeking visitation
         2. Impact on child and family dynamic
   4. Child Support
      1. Calculation Methods
         1. Income shares model
         2. Percentage of income model
         3. Considerations of child's needs and family income
         4. Adjustments for shared custody
      2. Enforcement of Support Orders
         1. Wage garnishment processes
         2. Tax intercepts and asset seizure
         3. Penalties for non-compliance
         4. International enforcement for cross-border cases
      3. Modifications of Support Orders
         1. Grounds for revisiting support terms
         2. Impact of life changes on support obligations
         3. Legal procedures for modification petitions
      4. Concerns Around Voluntary Underemployment
         1. Identifying imputed income
         2. Legal approaches to addressing underemployment
      5. Use of Child Support Funds
         1. Guidelines on acceptable use
         2. Accountability measures
         3. Trust accounts for the child's future
   5. Mediation and Collaborative Law in Custody and Support
      1. Benefits of non-adversarial approaches
      2. Role of mediators and collaborative lawyers
      3. Structuring mediated agreements
      4. Ensuring enforceability of agreements
      5. Limitations and challenges of alternative dispute resolutions