3 Issues That Can Come Up About Child Support
One of the most difficult issues that can come up during a divorce is child support. There are going to be decisions that need to be made during the divorce, and complications that can come up later in life. Here are a few of those key issues that you can run into.
The Amount Of Child Support Paid
The primary decisions that will be made during a divorce regarding child support are who will be paying child support and how much child support money will need to be paid. While you can make a mutual decision with your spouse during mediation, know that child support is finalized by a judge to make sure that the agreement is in the child's best interest.
Some common factors used to determine child support are the income of both spouses, if the child has special needs, and the standard of living of the child. That's why you must think of those things during mediation so that the judge will easily approve of your joint decision.
In addition, you'll also need to make decisions on who is responsible for health insurance and education expenses. For example, one person may include the child in their employer-provided health insurance, which can impact how much they pay in child support.
The Modification Of Child Support
There are two ways that a child support agreement can be modified. Some states have requirements that child support is reevaluated after a specific amount of time to ensure that it is still fair. However, you can request a modification to child support if someone significant has happened that requires immediate action.
For example, the parent that is responsible for paying child support may have suffered a disability and is unable to work. A parent may have gotten a significant increase in their pay at work, which would cause a need to modify the child support agreement. There can also be a situation where someone loses their job, and child support needs to be altered to accommodate for the loss of income.
The Enforcement of Child Support
Once a child support agreement is in place, it is up to both parents to follow the court order on their own. However, it is possible that one of the parents is not following the proper procedure. This could include not making child support payments on time, or the parent receiving child support using the money inappropriately.
Contact a local child support attorney to learn more.
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