Child custody and support can take months to work out during a separation in order to finalize divorce. Kids often take the brunt of the effects of the end of a marriage, as they have no choices in the matter and have to accept a new life with a new routine. This can make it especially hard if they have to deal with alterations of the original plan.
The actions of parents or discovery of previous issues with their behavior may weigh in on custody issues and other aspects of child care after divorce. A custody battle in Alachua County has been complicated by dropped criminal charges in Michigan against one of the litigants.
The original charges involve a former police officer and his stepfather accused of sexual assault of a minor relative. The charges were dropped when it was discovered that the prosecutor assigned to the case was involved with the victim of a separate case involving an alleged sexual assault.
The complication is that the Florida judge ruling on the child custody case may not be able to consider the accusations in deliberation without more context on the merits of the case before it was dismissed. The attorney general in Michigan may need to submit those details if the allegations are part of a child custody proceeding.
People concerned with a need to change child custody or support arrangements may seek the help of an attorney. Legal representation is very helpful when facing family court issues in Florida. A lawyer can help defend a parent’s interests in these situations and others.