Child Support Eligibility

Child Support Eligibility

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A family law litigation attorney can help you determine whether you are eligible for child support and what the amount of an award might be. After a divorce, legal separation, or other dissolution of marriage, parents are often faced with significant changes in their lives. These changes include major shifts in their social lives and the lifestyles they were previously accustomed to. Often, a parent will not be able to afford the same lifestyle for themselves and their children after a divorce. Parents may need a family lawyer to help sort out and address any of these issues. In order to obtain child support from the other parent, you need to understand your eligibility for receiving such financial support. 

Child support is a controversial subject, with many parents advocating that the government should not have the right to regulate what parents pay to raise their children. Parents may feel that child support can be used as a tool for punishing their ex-spouse in a divorce and forcing them to pay more money than is required. However, there are many reasons why child support laws still stand today and why they will probably continue to do so in the future.

How Does a Court Determine the Eligibility for Child Support?

In every state in the United States, there is a specific formula used to calculate the amount of child support that will be awarded to you according to your income and your ex-spouse’s income. The amount calculated from this formula is called “guideline support.” This amount may be adjusted by the court if you can prove that paying guideline support would be unconscionable given your specific situation. This can often occur in cases where there are serious mental or physical health problems involved.

In many cases, a parent will have to show that the other parent is not paying the correct amount of child support. This can be done in a variety of ways. A court may order the other parent to provide complete financial records in an attempt to determine how much they should be paying, or they may enter an Order For Collection, asking you to file a lawsuit against your ex-spouse on the grounds that they are not paying what they owe.

What are the Other Determining Child Support Criteria?

A parent may also be able to receive child support if they are currently experiencing financial hardship. A court may set aside part or all of your support obligation when it determines that you have a financial hardship. In many states, there is also a “spousal support” obligation that is owed to your ex-spouse for the remainder of his or her life. The amount of spousal support can be negotiated between you and your ex-spouse in order to come up with a final agreement for both of you.

A family law attorney can help you determine whether you are eligible for child support and what the amount of an award might be. After a divorce, legal separation, or other dissolution of marriage, parents are often faced with significant changes in their lives. These changes include major shifts in their social lives and the lifestyles they were previously accustomed to. Often, a parent will not be able to afford the same lifestyle for themselves and their children after a divorce.

What if There Needs to Be a Modification in the Child Support Order?

Each state allows for the modification of child support orders in unique ways. Each state has a Child Support Enforcement Agency that can assist you in enforcing and modifying your child support order. The one thing to remember is that a modification can be made only if there has been a substantial change in circumstances since the last support order was made. If your circumstances change, be sure to let the other parent know about it as soon as possible so that he or she will not have to worry about not receiving any support payments from you.

A family law attorney can help you determine whether you are eligible for child support and what the amount of an award might be. After a divorce, legal separation, or other dissolution of marriage, parents are often faced with significant changes in their lives. These changes include major shifts in their social lives and the lifestyles they were previously accustomed to. Often, a parent will not be able to afford the same lifestyle for themselves and their children after a divorce. Parents may need a family lawyer to help sort out and address any of these issues.

Conclusion:

When a couple becomes divorced or legally separated, there are many issues that need to be dealt with. Taxes, debts, and support of one another and their children all need to be addressed. As such, it is quite often wise for a family law litigation attorney to be consulted in regard to any divorce-related case. A divorce can force many people outside of their comfort zone and cause a lot of stress both emotionally as well as financially.

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