Ensuring Children Have The Financial Support They Need

Courts in Georgia are committed to reducing the potential harms kids are exposed to because of parental divorce or breakup, including poverty. Court-ordered child support is often the best way to achieve financial stability for kids. Two adults may be ending their commitment to one another, but they cannot end their commitment to support their children to adulthood.

At the same time, child support awards must be sustainable by balancing the needs of the children and the paying parent’s financial resources. At Candace M. Williams, P.C., I help clients on either side of a support order seek workable solutions in the best interests of their children.

Who Receives Support And Who Pays?

Child support awards are usually closely tied to child custody orders. If one parent has custody more than 50% of the time, they are usually considered the custodial parent and are therefore entitled to receive child support from the noncustodial parent.

How Are Support Amounts Calculated?

There are a number of factors that courts consider when awarding child support. They begin by examining the combined incomes of both parents and subtracting any deductions like Social Security. They then use a formulaic system to calculate payment amounts in light of all relevant factors.

When Can Child Support Be Modified?

Child support modifications are not automatic, and you must file for a modification when the situation calls for it. As with any modification, a life change should be the source of the petition, and you aren’t limited to petitioning for changes in your own life. Any life change can require it, including:

• Windfalls: If your ex or you come into considerable amounts of money, this could be a reason to pursue a child support claim. The fact is that each parent’s resources are a portion of what the child deserves in support. If anyone’s resources increase, that person should see their share of the support agreement change.

• Job loss: If you lose your job or your ex loses their job, the support order will undergo significant updates. The simple fact is income is a major part of what goes into a support order. Losing that income upends the entire situation.

• Child needs: If you have a child with considerable health care or educational requirements, you will pay more in support. However, as children grow, their needs change. A child adequately supported early, may “catch up” and no longer need the same support. A child receiving treatment for a serious medical condition may one day be in remission or free of the disease. If that happens, child support orders must change to match.

• Adulthood: In Georgia, you are required to pay child support until the child reaches 18 or finishes high school. However, ending the order is not automatic. You must file with the court to formally end the support order.

Some other additional factors that may require support modification include your health changes or changing dynamics in your family. One major change could be if your former spouse remarries, and their new spouse adopts your child. In those cases, your child support obligations will stop.

Lives change over time. I’ve seen many clients suffering from changing circumstances not realizing they have an opportunity to change the support agreements. I’ll work hard to make sure you get the changes you need in your case.

Why You Should Work With An Experienced Attorney

You can’t change the equation that is used to calculate child support. But you can and should ensure that the court is working with accurate information and is aware of all the important components that should be factored into the equation. Whether you are the likely payer or receiver of child support, an attorney can help you present the facts clearly and convincingly to improve your chances of an appropriate and sustainable award.

Call Me For Answers To Your Child Support Questions

At Candace M. Williams, P.C., I have been providing excellent family law representation to clients in northeast Georgia for more than 20 years. To schedule a consultation with me, contact my office in Gainesville at 470-705-5442. You can also send me an email.