District of Columbia

Marriage & Family Law Home

In the District of Columbia, upon divorce, a dependent spouse may file for alimony. ....... Click here to get more info on Alimony

For the purposes of this paragraph, the standard of living of a household shall be measured by dividing the gross income available to the household from all sources by the federal poverty guideline, as reported by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, for the number of adults contributing to the household, plus the number of children

• A child subject to the support order has regular and substantial income that can be used for the care of the child without impairment of the child’s current or future education



• The parent with a legal duty to pay support has special needs that increase the costs of the parent’s subsistence



• The parent with a legal duty to pay support pays for certain expensive necessities for the child, such as tuition



• The parent with a legal duty to pay support is 18 years old or younger and a full-time student



• The child is a respondent in a neglect proceeding and has been placed outside the home with a goal of reunification with the parent



• Any other exceptional circumstance that would yield a patently unfair result.

The factors that may be considered to overcome the presumption are:

• The needs of the child are exceptional and require more than average expenditures



• The gross income of the parent with a legal duty to pay support is substantially less than that of the parent to whom support is owed



• A property settlement provides resources readily available for the support of the child in an amount at least equivalent to the guideline amount



• Either parent supports a dependent other than a child subject to the support order, including a biological or adoptive child, a step-child, or an elderly relative, and application of the guideline would result in extraordinary hardship

The parent with a legal duty to pay support needs a temporary period of reduced child support payments to permit the repayment of a debt or rearrangement of the parent’s financial obligations; a temporary reduction may be included in a support order if:

• The debt or obligation is for a necessary expenditure of reasonable cost in light of the parent’s family responsibilities



• The time of the reduction does not exceed 12 months



• The support order in ....... Click here to get more info on Child Support

The parenting plan may include, but shall not be limited to, provisions for:

the residence of the child or children

the financial support based on the needs of the child and the actual resources of the parent

visitation

holidays, birthdays, and vacation visitation

transportation of the child between the residences

education

religious training, if any

access to the child’s educational, medical, psychiatric, and dental treatment records

communication between the child and the parents

the resolution of conflict, such as a recognized family counseling or mediation service

In making its custody determination, the Court:

shall consider the parenting plans submitted by the parents in evaluating the factors set forth in subsection (a)(3) of this section in fashioning a custody order

shall designate the parent(s) who will make the major decisions concerning the health, safety, and welfare of the child that need immediate attention

may order either or both parents to attend parenting classes.(e) Joint custody shall not eliminate the responsibility for child support i ....... Click here to get more info on Custody

The District of Columbia, though not a state, has it's own divorce laws for those who have married or reside in the state. ....... Click here to get more info on Divorce

Under District of Columbia law, a biological parent of a minor child may request visitation rights as a stand-alone petition presented to the court or as part of an open divorce, parentage or custody case.

When reviewing a request for visitation, the court will base their decision on whether granting a parent visitation would be in the "best interests of the child." What constitutes the "best interests of the child" can depend on a number of factors which include: the wishes of the child's parent or parents; the wishes of the child; the child's adjustment to his or her home, school and community; and the mental and physical health of all individuals involved.

....... Click here to get more info on Visitation

Under DC law, marital property is that which is acquired or is a direct result of the labor and investments of the parties during the marriage is subject to equitable division. ....... Click here to get more info on Property Division