Divorce Definitions

Custodial parent The parent who has physical custody of the children. Paternity The determination of who the father of a child is in order to arrange child custody and child support in the event of a divorce. Buccal Swab A recognized form of genetic testing used to determine paternity, which involves a q-tip type instrument for collecting saliva from individuals submitting to testing. Absolute divorce A divorce in which the marriage is completely dissolved and both parties become single. Alimony A payment made by one spouse to another pending divorce or separation. Reasonable visitation A form of visitation in which the parents work out a schedule of visitation for the non-custodial parent. Residual Physical Custodial Rights A custody agreement when one parent is awarded visitation by a pre-arranged schedule worked out between the parents or the courts. Temporary alimony A type of alimony payment that is made to one spouse pending separation or divorce proceedings. No-Fault Divorce Many states now permit "no-fault" divorces. No fault" divorce describes any divorce where the spouse suing for divorce does not have to prove that the other spouse did something wrong. All states allow divorces regardless of who is at "fault." Orders of Notice Notice ordered by the court requiring the party who filed for divorce to ensure that the other party is served by a sheriff with copies of the "Petition for Divorce".

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	Did You Know?
	About my ex-spouse visitation rights Unless the court has granted a modification of the visitation arrangement, then you can not and should not deny visitation! Denying visitation is one of the biggest mistakes made by most custodial parents. You may believe you have a justifiable reason for denying the visitation rights, but by law your are not permitted to do so.