The Impact of Child Support on Custodial and Non-Custodial Parents

When parents divorce, children are often placed primarily with one parent (the “custodial parent”). In these situations, the child’s noncustodial parent is responsible for making payments to the custodial parent to help provide the child with shelter, food, clothing, and other essential items.

The amount of child support a noncustodial parent must pay to a custodial parent will be based on the income of both parents and a number of other factors. It is important to understand how child support is determined and why it is necessary.

Determining the Basic Amount of Child Support

The court determines the basic amount of child support based on a formula that takes into account each parent’s income. This calculation is known as the “income percentage.” Then the court adds together each parent’s share of medical, child care, and educational expenses.

These expenses may include things like a child’s private school tuition, extracurricular activities, or college costs, among others. The custodial parent is generally required to pay these expenses unless there is a written agreement that prohibits it.

A skilled divorce & family lawyer in Miami can help you determine the correct amount of child support that is needed for your situation. They can also advise you on how to avoid paying too much and potentially violating your support order.

Reducing or Eliminating Child Support Payments for Temporary Changes in Economic Situation

When a parent changes employment, he/she can request that the court reduce the amount of child support that is due. However, there are certain limitations to this type of request. A parent who wants to lower the amount of support must be able to show that there has been a significant and permanent change in circumstances.

For example, if a father quits a job and then gets another job at a lower salary, the paying parent must be able to prove that the new job requires him/her to work additional hours or that he/she is no longer capable of working full-time.

The non-custodial parent can also ask the court to reduce or eliminate the amount of child support if they become eligible for SNAP benefits, which are designed to cover some of the costs of living for low-income families. This can be especially true if the non-custodial parent has been receiving benefits in the past or is at risk of becoming eligible for them again.

Rather than penalizing non-custodial parents for not making regular child support payments, some states have begun to experiment with ways to improve the program and encourage more cooperation from non-custodial parents. This can involve enhanced and expedited reviews of child support orders, debt-reduction planning, tying reductions in arrears to successful participation in parenting programs, or offering a range of supportive services that address barriers to employment for noncustodial parents.

While these measures can be effective, they are not always cost-effective or appropriate for every family’s circumstances. They can also disrupt existing family arrangements and make it more difficult for custodial and non-custodial parents to work out an agreement.

Mandating Cooperation with the Child Support System

While child support laws are a necessary component of most divorce and separation agreements, they can be complicated and difficult to navigate. They can also disrupt existing family arrangements and create significant financial burdens for both custodial and non-custodial families.

Understanding the Client-Attorney Privilege in Divorce Cases

Do you need a good lawyer’s help? Are you not sure how to go about finding one? Use the information here to find the best lawyer for your situation. Visit http://www.jacksonvillefamilylaw.org to get the best of advice on how to find the right divorce attorney and family lawyer.

You should not hire the first lawyer you find for your case. Because lots can be at stake, be sure to research thoroughly. Therefore, make sure you ask other people and discover all you can on your potential lawyers.

Make sure you have a fee schedule for any lawyers you are thinking about retaining. Fees are going to differ quite a bit depending on that lawyer’s demand and experience. This means that you must know what the fees will be prior to paying them. Nothing is worse than when you lose representation while proceedings are underway.

Even though hiring a lawyer can seem pricey, it could actually end up saving you money in the long-run. A specialist won’t have to research as much as a general lawyer, saving you research fees.

Your divorce attorney is bound by law to uphold the attorney-client privilege. This means he can’t discuss it with your family, competitors or anyone else, including the court.

Listen, but know you don’t have to act on it, if your lawyer tells you something. If there is something your lawyer wants or says that makes you uncomfortable, speak up. Understand you are just one case among many cases to them, though your lawyer is supposed to keep your best interests at heart.

Check with people you know and trust, before spending hours researching yourself. Ask friends or relatives who have dealt with similar issues in the past if possible. This will significantly benefit you and reduce the amount of work you have to put into researching on your own.

Make a log of each interaction that you make with a lawyer. Keep records of Family Law Attorneywhen you met, how long it took and what issues were raised, as well as what fees have been accumulated thus far. You want to keep good records of the time your lawyer did work for you. If you do not understand the bill, then you will have good documentation.

Sign a contract that outlines the fee structure, before your attorney starts to work on your case. Once you have an adequate view on the financial obligations you will have with your lawyers, you can then focus your attention on other important matters and allow your lawyer to help you. You should make sure your finances are properly arranged, also.

Ask your family law lawyer about things that you can do on your own to help reduce his work and the fees he will charge you. For instance, you might can prepare some paperwork. Ask if there are any documents you can pick up, instead of having the law office do it for you.

You will feel better with a good lawyer to help you with your case. Now that you have more information, you can set out to find the right attorney. Apply what you’ve learned here, and go out and find the best one.