Two cases, one household
Ending a marriage while an agency is watching.
A divorce and a child welfare case answer to different judges and different clocks. We keep them from tripping over each other.
We handle divorce, separation, parenting plans and child support, and we plan around the agency's case plan so that nothing you sign in one case undercuts the other.
What we handle
Divorce and legal separation
Parenting plans that respect the case plan
Child support: setting it, changing it, enforcing it
Negotiation, and mediation when both parents are willing
Dividing a household budget that now has extra costs
How the two fit together
Three places they touch.
Where your children sleep
A parenting plan has to fit the agency's requirements about who may supervise visits and where the child may stay.
The household budget
Support, rent and the costs of classes, tests and appointments in the case plan all draw on the same paycheck. We plan them together.
What gets said
Statements made in a divorce can reach the agency, and the reverse. We keep your account consistent in both places.
About divorce and support
Do I have to finish the divorce before the child welfare case ends?
No. The two can move at different speeds. We tell you what to hold off on and what is worth doing now.
Can the agency's findings affect custody in the divorce?
They can come up, and the other parent's lawyer may raise them. We prepare for that in advance.
Will mediation work if there is an open case?
Often, yes, with care. We screen for safety first, and we tell you when we think a judge, not a mediator, should decide.