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How Does COVID-19 Affect Parents’ Rights?

COVID-19 has significantly impacted the United States, and especially the Northeastern states such as New York and New Jersey. Unfortunately, if you are a divorced parent, you are most likely now coping with the effect the virus has on your family. Please read on and reach out to our experienced New Jersey family law attorney to learn more about parents’ rights in New Jersey, and how they may be affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

What are parents’ rights in New Jersey?

All parents have rights and responsibilities concerning raising their children. Those rights are as follows:

  • The right to custody, both physical or legal. Physical custody deals with which parent the child primarily lives with, while legal custody allows parents to make certain key decisions for their child.
  • Visitation rights: If you do not have physical custody, though you do have legal custody, you should have visitation rights, wherein you can follow the rules of a predetermined parenting plan and still see your child.
  • The right to child support: In New Jersey, both parents are legally obligated to financially support their child until courts decide the child no longer requires it.

Do these rights change during the coronavirus pandemic?

Though many aspects of our lives have changed, parental rights do not. While you may want to temporarily change your custody agreement or visitation schedule to protect the safety of your child, you may not do so without the permission of the other parent or New Jersey courts.

Furthermore, you should also note that all laws concerning child support remain unchanged as well. If you owe child support, federal law demands you make all those payments on time. Child support agencies continue to report any past-due payments. That being said, if you recently lost your job, for example, due to the virus, you may request a temporary modification to your child support agreement until things begin to return to normalcy.

If you have any additional questions regarding parental rights during these unprecedented times, please do not hesitate to reach out to our experienced New Jersey family law attorney today. Our firm is here to help you and your family through every step of the process ahead. All you have to do is ask.

Contact our experienced Ocean City firm

Matters of divorce and family law require the attention and skill of an experienced attorney who will fight for your future. Not only is your financial well-being at stake, but in a divorce, both you and your children’s emotional well-being are at risk as well. If you need a divorce and family law attorney in Ocean County, New Jersey, please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Sarina Gianna, LLC today to schedule a consultation.