My wife’s ex is taking us to court to change the custody arrangement for their 2 oldest kids, can we represent ourselves before the judge?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
My wife’s ex is taking us to court to change the custody arrangement for their 2 oldest kids, can we represent ourselves before the judge?
They’re both over 13 and prefer to spend most of their time with their dad. We do not intend to “fight” this. We are aware that we will likely have to pay child support. We would strongly prefer not to incur additional charges to retain a lawyer.
Asked on October 23, 2012 under Family Law, South Dakota
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
You can enter in to a voluntary agreement to modify the order and the court may or may not ask the kids their opinion. If he or she does then they can testify and they should be honest about the reasons - wanting to spend more time with their Dad, etc. "Because my Mom is too strict" is not a valid reason. You need to familiarize yourself with the child support laws and calculate the amount so that you will be aware of the order. You should go in and ask for a conference before the law clerk and ask to enter in to a voluntary modification. Good luck.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.