Legal custody is the responsibility to make major decisions for the child such as legal, medical, school, religous. Physical custody is the responsibility to care for the child on a day to day basis. NC defaults to joint legal custody if not specified.
In the event of the death of the primary custodial parent, custody falls to the other biological parent unless there is already a suit on file for custody from another entity/person.
Yes, parents can sign a notarized agreement in regards to custody but it’s always a good idea to have an attorney look over the agreement before it is signed. Consultations do not cost that much in the grand scheme of things.
Child support would not consider cc debt. It’s possible to include other expenses for the child as extraordinary expenses but that would need to be decided on by the court if the parents do not agree.
I do not think life insurance can cover child support. Life insurance is a one time payment upon death, if I’m not mistaken. I do believe that children can be paid their parents SS wages, but I’m not certain how that works…
There may be a way to request money from the estate of a deceased parent to cover child expenses if there is not a will or provisions for the child/children in the event of their death.
Legal custody is decision making for the children, meaning the right to make decisions such as medical treatment, religious and educational upbringing etc. In this state the vast majority of parents are awarded joint legal custody. When the parents have joint legal custody either parent can make the decision to change their primary residence, but generally need to agree on moves that are a considerable distance. If they cannot agree the court can make the decision.
If the parents are able to reach a custody agreement on their own they can sign and notarize it out of court and do not have to have an attorney. It is generally in your best interests to have an attorney review an agreement before signing anything final.
It is normal to request a life insurance policy, but it is not something the court can order, the parties must agree to it.
Child support in this state is based on the guidelines as long as the combined monthly income is less than $25,000 per month. As long as your income is less than your threshold the court does not consider expenses, they will just apply the guideline.
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Helena M. Nevicosi
Attorney with Rosen Law Firm
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What is the difference between legal and physical custody and the specific rights to the primary parent (moving and such)? Also, who is the deciding factor in where the children go in the event of the death of the primary parent? As for custody, if both parents agree on an amt outside of court, can they just sign and notarize an agreement between themselves without having to pay lawyers to do this for them? When considering child support, am I correct that the state only considers the normal and basic living expenses of the parent paying support (in other words, do they consider any cc debt, extra curriculars or private classes or schools for that parent or other children)? Is it normal to request a life insurance policy of the parent paying support to cover child support in the event of his/her death (I am offering such myself)?