Pasadena Child Support Lawyer
Making or Receiving Payments to Support Your Child
The state of California states that both parents must still retain the
legal responsibility of raising a child, even if one parent does not see
the child on a regular basis. If you have been granted
child custody and are looking to establish child support payments to help in the raising
of you and your ex-spouse's child, it is important that you contact
a divorce lawyer from our firm today. You do not even have to have been
married; fathers of children born out of wedlock may still have to pay
child support. Child support payments will cease after the child turns
18 and the support does not cover college funds.
There are varying factors that could determine the amount of money that
the non-custodial parent may owe to the custodial parent. The court will
determine how much a parent is obligated to pay based on a formula that
determines how much income the non-custodial parent is making and what
the living conditions were during the marriage. This may vary depending
on how many children are being paid for as well.
Factors Determining Child Support
The state of California has a Department of Child Support Services to aid
benefactors and those that owe child support. Some factors that can affect
how much money a non-custodial parent may owe can include:
- The amount of income that they are currently making
- What their taxes are
- How much mortgage is owed by the paying parent
- What health insurance they have and if it covers their children
- What the special needs of the children are
- How many children there are
- The capability for the supporting party to make child support payments
- If children are involved from another marriage
California has a
calculator to determine how much is owed. One can also be found available online
through the state's website.
Can I Make Changes to My Child Support Order?
The court will agree to
modify a child support order under certain circumstances. They understand that financial circumstances
change over time, but you must be able to show proof that the child support
situation needs to change. Typically the court will consider recalculating
the amount of child support if you are able to prove one of the following:
- You have had more children since the original order (Stepchildren do not count)
- Your income has been reduced or you have lost your job
- The other parent's income has gone up
- You have been spending more time with the children and the custody % has gone up
Need an attorney for your child custody case in Pasadena, CA? If you feel
that the amount of child support in your case needs to be reduced or increased,
then take legal action today. Speak with a Pasadena child support lawyer
from our firm to help protect your rights.
Child Support Enforcement
What some people seem to forget is that child support orders are not a
suggestion; they are a court mandate which must be followed. If you and
the other parent are have a dispute over child custody or any other issue,
the non-custodial parent cannot stop paying child support to get back
at the other. If you are not being paid the child support payments that
you are entitled to, then our Pasadena child support attorneys can work
alongside the court to have the child support order enforced. The California
courts have several different
enforcement methods including:
- Wage garnishment
- Suspending all professional licenses
- Suspending their driver's license
- Deducting the money from tax returns
- Being arrested and taken to jail
On the same token, if you are paying your court ordered child support and
you are still being refused access to your children, then our legal team
can fight to enforce your rights as a parent.
Rated Pasadena's Top Attorney by Pasadena Magazine
Searching for an attorney for a child support case in Pasadena? If you
are seeking legal counsel for payments that are owed or if you owe payments
and are backed on them, it is important that you contact an attorney.
Our attorneys are familiar with laws pertaining to child support and custody
and can help you determine what you owe and what penalties you could be
facing for back-owed payments.