Going to family court for child custody and child support is an immensely difficult time for parents and children alike. When a child support case has come after a divorce, it creates an emotionally strenuous situation. Often, the result of a custody order is that one parent owes the other parent child support based on the financial requirements of your child or children and the difference in income. If you’re a parent facing divorce and an eventual child custody case, or a child custody and support determination, having child support attorneys on your side can allow a fair outcome.
At Erica Lord Law Group, we believe in caring and personalized legal counsel, striving for parents to have an attorney working for their best interests and representing their specific circumstances. It’s important to us that your needs are met and understood and that you understand the proceedings related to child custody and child support. We know that often, in cases regarding child support, parents face several disputes for varying reasons. Our firm aims to provide you with the legal buttress necessary through the process of child support determination, ensuring that the best interests of your family, and especially your children, are advocated for.
Child support attorneys work in family law, and they can work with you through your case, including representing you in court. They can also help in gathering the necessary information for you. An attorney can assist in changing existing child support orders if required.
While you could represent yourself in family court, it’s significantly more difficult without the expertise of a qualified attorney. Dealing with a court case brings many hard deadlines and requires an in-depth knowledge of child support laws. When you have daily responsibilities, a legal case can make them more challenging to accomplish. It’s also a significant risk to handle the case on your own, as you could find yourself facing a child support decision that is unfair to you. Child support cases are delicate, especially if your child’s parent is leaning towards something like defamation. Even if your case seems straightforward, you could lack information and a crucial understanding of the legal details relevant to your case, which could result in mistakes. The outcome of a child custody and child support case can change your life, and you need the best legal representation to walk you through the process.
With a qualified Beckley child support attorney, however, you can feel at ease. Your attorney can handle gathering evidence, and they can help present you in a favorable light to bring your case to a fair resolution. By hiring a legal team that ensures you understand the process, you can feel assured of making informed decisions regarding your child custody and support. Though the end decision will rest with the judge for your case, your case can be much stronger with the assistance of a competent child support attorney.
The basic purpose of child support is to ensure that your child or children receive financial care for daily living expenses, including food, shelter, clothing, and health care. If one parent receives more custody of the children, the parent with less custody will have to pay child support, usually on a monthly basis. Evenly shared custody may include child support agreements if there is an income difference between the two parents.
A judge will look at several factors, as well as custody rights, when determining child support. These can include:
Along with these factors, a judge will add up the total income of both parents and divide it in half to determine child support. The parent with less child custody will pay their percentage of the cost of raising a child or children.
If you’re facing a case, you should hire an attorney as soon as possible. By hiring a child support attorney when you are first aware you’re going to have a case, you give your attorney more time to gather and look through all the pertinent information. This way, your attorney will be more prepared to represent you in court.
Even after the judge has ordered child support, it can still be modified under certain circumstances. If the financial situation of either parent changes, or the financial needs of the child change, then the orders would likely be modified. Otherwise, if there are no changes in the circumstances, both parties must wait three years after child support has been ordered for review and potential modification.
West Virginia child support law states that both parents are responsible for childcare and support, and the exact amount is determined by factors like the income of each parent and the number of children. Family courts use the income share model for child payments. This means that they look at the combined income of both parents and the amount it costs to raise the child or children to determine what is a fair amount of child support to be paid.
The percentage of child support paid by the parent who doesn’t have custody is determined by the shared income of both parents. This is meant to give children the same financial support of parental income they would have if their parents were together. While other factors may change this amount, the court may determine the percentage of income that the parent without child custody receives when compared to the combined income of both parents. This same percentage is based on the average cost of raising a child.
To increase the chances of a fair outcome for both parties, as well as your children, you want effective and compassionate legal counsel. Contact Erica Lord Law Group today to see how we can help your child support determination.