DIVORCE
The Complaint for Divorce must declare the appropriate Arkansas grounds upon which the divorce is being sought. Arkansas is an "equitable distribution" state, the marital property shall be divided in an equitable fashion. Equitable does not mean equal, but rather what is fair. The court will encourage the parties to reach a settlement on property and debt issues otherwise the court will declare the property award.
CUSTODy
When minor children are involved in a divorce, the Arkansas courts will do everything possible to help lessen the emotional trauma the children may be experiencing. If the parents cannot come to an agreement regarding the issues involving the children, the court will establish the custody order at its discretion. In an action for divorce, the award of custody of a child of the marriage shall be made without regard to the sex of a parent but solely in accordance with the welfare and best interest of the child.
child and spousal support
Child Support: Arkansas child support guidelines uses the Percentage of Income Formula which calculates the support obligation as a percentage of the income of the non-custodial parent who is obligated to support the child. This method simply applies a percentage to the income of the parent according to the number of children requiring support.
Spousal Support/Alimony: Arkansas divorce courts allow for the grant of alimony to one of the spouses if the court determines such an award to be in the interests of justice. The obligation of one spouse to pay alimony is decided on a case-by-case basis and can be agreed to by the parties or the court may order support.
Spousal Support/Alimony: Arkansas divorce courts allow for the grant of alimony to one of the spouses if the court determines such an award to be in the interests of justice. The obligation of one spouse to pay alimony is decided on a case-by-case basis and can be agreed to by the parties or the court may order support.
PATERNITY
Children born to unwed persons do not automatically have a legal Father without a Paternity action establishing the identity of the Father, whether agreed or contested. In Arkansas, when a child is born to an unmarried woman, the mother of the child automatically has full custody of the child. If you want the court to order the father to pay child support or medical bills incurred during your pregnancy or after the child was born, then you need to file a paternity action. If you think you may have fathered a child with an unmarried woman, but you are unsure, then you need to hire an attorney to file a paternity action.
GRANDPARENT'S VISITATION
Grandparents or great-grandparents may request visitation rights if the parents' marital relationship has been severed by death, divorce, or legal separation. In addition, visitation may be requested if the child is in the custody or under the guardianship of a person other than a natural or adoptive parent, or if the child is illegitimate.