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Louisiana courts have seen interesting changes in family law over the past few years. Some decades-old provisions that were taken for granted are now becoming less mainstream. Mothers having careers and fathers taking more active roles in raising children have led many to reconsider common issues like child support and alimony. More often, divorce settlements do not include those items.

While it is probably not likely that child support will ever become a thing of the past, the changes in post-divorce family dynamics are making it less necessary for many parents. More collaborative divorces mean that parents do not necessarily become adversaries after the settlement. Fathers are asking for equal parenting time instead of the traditional visitation schedule of alternating weekends and occasional overnights with the kids. With parenting responsibilities divided more equally, child support may not be necessary.

Another area which is slowly catching up with modern families is spousal support. Alimony is no longer accepted as a given or as something an ex-husband pays his wife for the rest of her life. In many younger couples, both spouses have jobs that can sustain them, so alimony is more frequently ordered in gray divorces or as a temporary measure.

Despite the changes some are seeing, each divorce has unique elements, and each couple is different. Because of this, Louisiana couples find guidance by consulting lawyers to represent their best interests throughout divorce and child support proceedings. A committed attorney will take into consideration what is most important to the client and address those individual needs.

Source: examiner.net, “The changing reality of divorce“, Ken Garten, Dec. 24, 2016