5 Most Common Legal Problems Faced By Single Parents

LawTally's lawyers have mentioned a few legal issues faced by single parents that can prepare the single would-be parents for the future.

It is said that you need a village i.e., a whole community to raise a child. But with about 12 million single-parent families in the US, we can just imagine the problems of nurturing your kids in the best way possible. Those problems not only challenge your emotional strength but can involve legal battles as well and we all know that it is difficult for battles to end well. People can deal with all their personal problems on their own but with legal issues, one should be cautious and take appropriate help because not every problem is to be dealt with alone.

Our Divorce and Child Custody lawyers at LawTally have mentioned a few among many legal issues that a single parent faces quite frequently that can prepare single would-be parents for the future.

1. Discrimination while finding a House:

House hunting is already an energy-draining task. So imagine if you found a perfect house, after going through many, and then getting refused by the landlord just because you are a single parent. This is illegal. According to the Fair Housing Act, no one can be denied housing based on their gender, the presence of children or familial composition. Even with this law in power, there are some landlords who try to deny.

2. Custody battle:

Usually, people believe that custody battles only occur when in case of a divorce but that is not completely true. Unmarried parents also go through the custody case. This custody can be further divided into two states, i.e., physical custody and or the legal custody. Many times people confuse one with the other and think they are the same but they both are completely different. Physical custody determines the child’s house and the school he or she might go to, granting joint or sole physical custody. On the contrary, Legal custody determines the child’s belief, medical care and who will take these decisions for him or her.

3. Adoption:

Single would-be parents aspire to adopt a child to fulfill their dream of a family. While states do not constrain any single person to adopt, there are many adoption agencies who have different policies. Some of these agencies even prohibit single people to adopt.

4. Child Support:

People consider child support to be an expense that covers a child’s basic necessity like food, living, and clothing. But in reality, child support covers a child’s complete expense ranging from school fees to his personal entertainment expenses. Some states also demand the noncustodial parents to pay up the college expenses of a child as well. Whether you are paying or at the receiving end, child support is among the top legal issues. Even in the case of a joint custody, there has to be a parent to pay the custody. The payee, in this case, is chosen because of the income disparities between the parents.

People should know that the amount of child support is variable i.e., it changes according to new income or occurrence of a special need.

5. Rebellious Teens:

What is difficult than raising a child? Try raising a rebellious teen! Rebellious teens are tough to handle and understand but it would be crazy to kick them out for that. Legally, it is considered as child abandonment and it’s a criminal offense. But a teen, after a certain age, can decide on his or her own if they wish to get legally emancipated.

These issues are just the surface of the many problems faced by the single parents and the process can definitely make you feel overwhelmed. To avoid this feeling, you can always consult an experienced attorney. If you feel lost, you can always try to contact any of LawTally’s Lawyers who are always ready to help!

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