Lawyers for child support play a significant role in divorce and child support issues. Moreover, these lawyers can also help them win custody of children.
The right to receive child support belongs to the child, not the parent. Child support is usually calculated using a state formula that considers both parents’ salaries. It also considers the amount of time each parent spends with the child. A parent must continue to pay child support until a court changes the amount.
Courts do not take child support awards lightly. Failing to pay a child support obligation can result in serious repercussions. A judge could forfeit a parent’s salary, driver’s licence, professional licence, or even sentence jail time. This is if they stop paying child support or pay less than what a court order demands.
So, unless parents can provide a compelling reason not to pay child support, they will need to hire lawyers for child support. In this article, we’ll discuss lawyers for child support and the benefits of hiring one.
What Lawyers For Child Support Do
Lawyers for child support focus on issues involving children, such as custody, visitation, and support. While you can locate lawyers for child support, divorce lawyers or family law lawyers in your state are also available. These lawyers concentrate on child custody and have expertise in setting and modifying child support orders.
Preparation for court hearings
For parents going through their first divorce or custody case, they’ll need to establish child support. This is normally done with court hearings or trials. Your lawyer will also need to collect any essential proof, like tax returns, proof of income, and other financial documents that show how much each parent earns.
A court hearing in front of a judge is normally required for child support changes. Lawyers for child support can assist parents in court hearing preparations, gathering crucial evidence, and case presentations.
Calculating and modifying child support
If you already have a child support order, lawyers for child support can help you modify the amount owed. This can be done by submitting a modification request. The majority of states have enacted their own child support laws. By entering each parent’s salary figures into a child support calculator, state child support guidelines assist parents and judges in determining child support.
However, in other circumstances, the recommended child support amount is insufficient. Lawyers for child support can aid you in proving to a judge why you need to differ from the guideline child support amount. The Department of Human Services (DHS) is in charge of calculating child support. Additionally, they inform parties of how much they must pay or are entitled to receive.
Reducing child support
If you ask a lawyer to help you reduce payments, your lawyer will first file a petition with the court. Lawyers can do this by requesting a decrease. Each state has its own criteria for determining when child support should be reduced. However, in most cases, you’ll need to establish significant changes to prohibit you from paying court-ordered child support.
A “substantial change in circumstances” usually signifies that something major in your life has changed dramatically since the initial child support order was made, such as your income, living conditions, or health. Here are some factors that a judge will consider in lowering child support payments if:
- Parents willingly quit their job to avoid paying child support
- Monthly expenses have increased because parents have relocated to a new luxury apartment or state
- A parent has received an unavoidable medical diagnosis
Types Of Cases That Lawyers For Child Support Handle
The majority of family law practitioners deal with divorces. This frequently involves property division, alimony, child custody, and child support enforcement or modification procedures. They also handle matters involving child custody and maintenance for single parents or parents who have never married.
Lawyers for child support can assist you in ensuring that the child support is reasonable under the rules of your state. If you are unable to make your child support payments, an expert attorney can help you navigate the necessary steps to lower your child support obligation.
Factors To Consider Before Hiring A Child Support Lawyer
During your child support case, a child support lawyer can be extremely beneficial. Understanding what child support lawyers do and why you might need one can help you make a solid case. Before you employ a child support attorney, you should think about a few things. Among them are:
- Whether or not issues of paternity have been addressed
- If there is another custody dispute involving the same child or children?
- How will child support affect your finances
- The amount of child support that is expected.
You may believe that engaging a child support attorney is expensive or even useless. However, as you can see from the reasons above, there are many things that lawyers accomplish that you might not be able to perform on your own.
If your former partner has obtained legal counsel, you should obtain legal counsel as well. Remember that all parties have the same power and right to hire lawyers for child support if deemed necessary.
Some child support situations are difficult to resolve. For example, you and your former spouse may have disagreed about custody or child support payments. In this instance, you’ll need a lawyer to help you fight your case and provide you with whatever support you require.
Importance Of Seeking Legal Advice
With the factors mentioned above, hiring lawyers for child support can be beneficial. Furthermore, they can be more effective when there are disputes in child support.
JB Solicitors offers a team of experienced solicitors who can provide market-leading legal advice to parents seeking to modify and reduce child support payments.
We also offer mediation services for parents seeking an amicable agreement in paying for child support. Costly court proceedings can be avoided with this cost-effective approach.
Contact JB Solicitors today for your child support matters.
