The Impact of a Child Support Lawyer on Families
Child support is a financial obligation parents have to one another for the benefit of their children. A marriage is not needed to create such an obligation and most states have established guidelines for calculating and establishing child support payments. Often, such payments are based on the amount of income each parent makes. Income may include wages and salary, commissions, tips, bonuses, self-employment income, royalty income, rental income, pensions, retirement benefits, workers’ compensation and social security payments among other things.
It is also important to remember that just because a parent’s income level is not enough to meet the guidelines does not mean they will be denied child support altogether. The court has the ability to deviate from the guidelines if they can prove that such a deviation is in the best interests of the child. This may be because of extracurricular activities, extraordinary expenses or educational disabilities. The law also allows the court to impute income upon a parent if they are not actually earning what they should be making.
The purpose of child support is to help the custodial parent provide for the child’s basic needs. These can include clothing, food, shelter and other essentials. This is in addition to any medical and educational costs that the child might incur during his or her lifetime. The child support obligation generally lasts until the child reaches 18 years of age or is emancipated.
A person who has a child support order from the courts will be required to make timely payments. If they do not, they will be in violation of the terms of their court-ordered agreement and could face a variety of penalties. Some of the penalties might include jail time and additional interest charges on the outstanding debt.
If you need help with a child support dispute in Fort Worth, contact the dedicated attorneys at Davis and Associates, Attorneys at Law. We can help review your situation and offer legal representation in the form of negotiations and/or a court hearing.
We are committed to providing exceptional legal services to our clients. We will work diligently to protect your rights, while ensuring that the best interests of your children are met. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with an experienced family lawyer in Fort Worth.
Top Child Support in Fort Worth
If you’re considering filing for divorce or have already done so, you may be wondering how to best protect the interests of your children. In most cases, a custody agreement can be achieved through negotiation or mediation. In some cases, however, disputes will need to be resolved through contested hearings in family court. No matter how your custody dispute is resolved, the assistance of an experienced Fort Worth child support attorney can be invaluable.