5 things to know about child support
When your marriage ends and you have children, you must remember that the life of children has to go on. To give them the life they deserve, you must pay child support to the custodial parent. If you are getting divorced, here are some things to know about child support:
Do you need a child support attorney?
To save money and avoid airing your dirty sheets in public, it is strongly recommended that you work with a reputable child support lawyer. You must have your lawyer and your ex-spouse must also have theirs. Both of you should have a discussion with your lawyers and agree on an amount you are comfortable with.
It is only when they disagree that they must drag each other to court. Even in court, you should have a lawyer by your side. Here the professional will argue the case in his favor to make sure that the court does not rule that you pay more than you can afford.
You have to pay the agreed amount
When you agree to pay a certain amount as alimony, you must keep in mind that you must pay it. Non-compliance with payments would result in legal sanctions. If he habitually misses payments, the court may even decide to put him in jail. If the court finds that you have the money, but you deliberately refuse to pay, you may choose to get the money directly from the bank or company.
Monthly payments may fluctuate
When many people are ordered by the court to make payments, they get the idea that they need to make endless amounts at the end of each month for the rest of their lives. Far from this. The amount awarded by the court can fluctuate depending on your situation. If the custodial parent loses his job, the court can order him to make higher monthly payments. On the other hand, if he loses a job or his business fails, he should work with his family lawyer and take the matter before the judge. If there is evidence that he is doing poorly financially, the judge may order him to make small contributions.
You need to work with your ex
Most divorces are emotional and many people do not want to see each other after the divorce. If you have a child together and have made the decision to raise him or her, you need to put your emotions aside and work together. Regularly, you need to communicate and find out about the condition of the children. You will also have to meet the children and spend time with them.
You have to keep track of your payments.
Even if you are on good terms with your ex and are making child support payments religiously, don’t trust him/her. He/she may report that she is missing payments, which may be problematic on her/his part. To stay covered, keep copies of the documents you use for payments. These can be receipts, bank slips and any other documents you have used.