Weekly Divorce Tip: Establishing Child Support
If your husband isn’t supporting your children and you can’t make ends meet, it’s time to ask for child support. Child support is calculated using standardized state child support guidelines and child support calculators. These tools allow parents, attorneys, mediators and judges to use the same information and formulas in every case to ensure the consistent application of child support laws. You may also use the online child support calculators and guidelines to estimate support payments you might be required to make or you may receive from your husband.
If you and your husband are negotiating the terms of your divorce, you can work together to determine the appropriate amount of child support. However if you do this, make sure you review your state’s child support laws to be certain your agreement meets the statutory requirements for setting support. If you and your husband are involved in a traditional divorce process, you may be able to ask your local child support enforcement agency to establish and enforce child support payments for you. State operated child support agencies do not charge for their services and their lawyers often do everything legally necessary to ensure child support payments are made. If your agency can’t help you, you may also file a court motion and ask the court for an order. To do this, download your state’s legal forms and instructions and get started.
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Posted by ModDiva on May 5th, 2008 filed in Family Law, Divorce Tips, Child Support |
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