My daughter’s father and I (never married) have not gone through the court for child support or custody/visitation arrangements.

What we’ve been doing is working well. I just want the courts to be aware of our situation.

ANSWER

Perhaps this is a case of “it isn’t broke, then don’t fix it.” If everything is working well, then why ask a Judge to decide?

If you file a Petition for Custody and Child Support you are giving the decision to a Judge. Please note that even if you file a written agreement, until that agreement is incorporated into a court order the Court can overturn or change that agreement based on the best interests of the child standard.

A good family law lawyer will help you decide whether you need to go to court or not. Another option is talking to a counselor, mediator, parent coordinator, and therapist about how to resolve differences in parenting and scheduling.