John Dunn
Tulsa -
918.526.8000

Mannford - 918.865.8030

 

Some have described me as “unwavering” when it comes to principles. Others say that I exhibit the trait of "loyalty to a fault" or that I am "utterly relentless” when pursuing an objective. As your attorney, I promise to be a loyal advocate and to be unwavering in the pursuit of your goals. I am a zealous advocate that does not shy away from conflict and litigation. I believe that the strongest weapon that an attorney can have is knowledge of his case. I will aggressively prepare your case for litigation while attempting to resolve the issues on favorable terms - a kind of "peace through strength" approach to the practice of law.

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TULSA FAMILY ATTORNEY

Adoption / Guardianship

Adoption is the process by which the parental ties between one set of parents and the child are severed and legally re-established in another set of parents.  Parental ties may be voluntarily severed or they may be severed as the result of the death of a parent.  Parental ties may also be severed by court order, generally following a jury trial in the matter.  Adoptions - by their very nature - are permanent.  Couples that adopt a child are later responsible for paying child support. 

Guardianship is a temporary status where a court appoints an adult to be the caretaker of the child or of some asset of the child (land or some inheritance).  During the time a person is the guardian of a child, they have a fiduciary duty to look out for the emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being of the child and to safeguard the assets of the child.  They are not permitted to benefit from their position or the monies that are managed, unless compensation is specifically authorized by the court.

Child Custody and Visitation

There are two types of child custody - legal and physical.  Physical custody is defined as the party that has physical control of over the child, i.e. the custodial parent.  Legal custody is the party that is empowered to make decisions on behalf of the child (i.e. educational or medical decisions).  Normally, the parents will retain joint legal custody of a child.

When the court is forced to determine the issue of custody, the judge attempts to award custody based upon the "best interests of the child".  This takes into account various factors that are intended to determine which party will best provide for the the emotional, psychological, moral, and spiritual well-being of the child.  The court can modify custody based upon a change in circumstance (i.e. the re-marriage of one of the parties, one of the parties developing a substance abuse problem, etc.)

Visitation is awarded to the non-custodial parent to visit the child and take custody of the child for a brief period of time.  Visitation can be set out by agreement of the parties or imposed by the court.  Standard visitation will vary from county to county, but is generally similar to the Tulsa County form.  This is the default setting of the court.  Sometimes, the court must impose special conditions on visitation - especially in instances where abuse is suspected. One of the common conditions is "supervised visitation," which requires the visiting party to hire a professional to supervise the visitation for the safety of the child.   

Child Support

Child support is generally calculated based upon the Child Support Guidelines, which are set by statute.  However, there are certain criteria that allow for the guidelines to be adjusted up or down, depending on the needs of the child, or other special circumstances that may affect the financial needs of the child.

If child support is not paid, the the custodial parent can begin an enforcement action against the obligor.  In these actions, the obligor's paycheck can be garnished; assets, bank accounts, and tax refunds may be seized, and licenses - both professional and driver's licenses - may be suspended.  These matters can be resolved through administrative hearings, contempt citations in District Court, and negotiations, depending on which tactic is appropriate.  Ultimately, if money is owed, the past due child support is reduced to a judgment and  paid out. 

 

The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice.
You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation.

 

 

 

Mr. Dunn is a Tulsa Family Attorney who is equipped to handle almost any aspect family law.  Mr. Dunn handles divorces of all levels of conflict and complication, child custody and child support issues and represents his clients in both state and administrative court.  Mr. Dunn handles child support enforcement actions, adoption, paternity suits to establish child support and visitation, child custody cases.  Mr. Dunn practices in the area of guardianships and adoption. 

If you need an experienced  Tulsa Family Lawyer, please contact John Dunn.  His knowledge as a family attorney is vast and invaluable.

 

 

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