What Is Child Support?
In a marriage, the parents might make an arrangement where one of them is the primary caregiver and the other one pays for everything. In some cases, after a divorce or separation, one parent continues to be responsible for paying child support. Child support payments are not meant to punish a parent but rather, provide financial assistance to a custodial parent who is taking care of the children. If you need further clarification, contact our family law attorney in Suffolk County at Flowers Law Group.
How Is Child Support Agreed Upon?
Child support is normally agreed upon by both parents, and is decided according to certain factors. There are also times when a judge will determine the amount which one parent must pay in child support. Lawyers who handle family law matters can help you with your child support case. If you cannot afford a lawyer, then applying to Legal Aid might help you find one.
In order to determine the amount of child support, some factors considered include:
A judge will look at both the income of the paying-parent as well as that of the receiving-parent. They can also consider a parent’s ability to pay, and whether they have other children to support.
The judge also considers the number of children who need child support and how much each child needs in order to live a comfortable life. If both parents make about the same amount of money, or if one parent has extra money to spend on their own expenses, it is unlikely that they will be required to pay more than about 20% of their income in child support. If the legal proceedings are to much for you to handle, please contact a family law attorney in Suffolk County.
Time Spent
Another factor which the judge considers is how much time each parent spends with their children. If one parent has the children all week while the other has them only every second weekend, then that parent would be expected to pay more child support than if they were spending equal amounts of time with the kids.
Is Child Support Considered A Punishment?
Child support is not meant to punish a parent who has fallen behind on his or her payments. When dealing with child support, it is important for parents not to worry about the amount of money the other parent spends on their time with their children. As long as they are comfortable and safe in their home, your child support payments should be doing their job.
Contact Our Family Law Attorney in Suffolk County
Even if you are not receiving child support payments from your ex-partner. It is still a good idea to keep in contact with him or her about important issues concerning your children. Discussing things like school choices and religious upbringing can help ease tension between the both of you, which will also be better for the children. If you need assistance with this endeavor, our family law attorney in Suffolk County is here to help. Fill out a form on our website to get in touch with our firm.