When parents separate, the court may order one parent to pay the other financial support. Child support can help cover costs like education, health care, food and clothing. It is a key aspect of divorce proceedings and the law views spouses who fail to meet their court-obligated obligations to their children very seriously.
Whether you are seeking to receive or pay child support, it’s important that your Phoenix child support lawyer is well-versed in state laws and family law procedures. The experienced team at Dodge & Vega PLC at Law in Phoenix is well-positioned to help you obtain the necessary documents and information that will prove critical in a successful outcome to your case.
We strive to uncover and examine every important document that can be used to support your position. By being proactive, we can prevent drawn-out legal battles over the issue of child support. Our team is also knowledgeable in the many different methods and techniques that can be employed to establish and calculate an appropriate amount of child support based on your unique situation.
The amount of child support that a judge will order depends on various factors, including the parent’s income, their share of parenting time and expenses, and other relevant circumstances. The courts will usually follow the state’s Child Support Guidelines in making a determination. However, there are times when the court will deviate from the guidelines if certain facts exist.
For example, if a parent fails to report all their income or misreports their earnings, the judge may impute income to them. This is an estimated amount of income that a judge believes the person has the ability to earn, not what they actually earn. This can result in a higher child support obligation than would otherwise be the case.
Other variables that can affect child support include the cost of health insurance, childcare, and other special needs. A person who seeks to modify an existing child support order should be prepared to provide evidence of any changes in circumstance. A modification request will likely be denied if there has been no substantial change in the parents’ economic status and/or their shared children’s expenses.
Medical support is included in most child support orders, and it is the responsibility of both parents to provide for their children’s healthcare. This includes paying for things like dental, prescriptions, and other forms of health care. It is not uncommon for both parties to share this expense.
In some cases, a parent’s income will be considered “taxable.” The court must approve this before taxes are applied to any child support payments. For this reason, it is important to consult with an attorney before attempting to change an existing child support order. It’s also best to work with a family law specialist to draft the request and present it to the court. This will increase your chances of success. Laura Chapman is a highly skilled child support lawyer in Phoenix AZ with more than a decade of experience. She handles all of her client’s cases from beginning to end, rather than passing them off to an associate. She is committed to providing exceptional service to her clients and helping them reach the best possible outcome in their cases.
