The purpose of child support is to ensure that divorced, separated, or unmarried parents contribute their fair share to the financial support of their children. Because the child’s best interests must always be held top of mind, child support agreements ensure that the custodial parent has the means necessary to feed, clothe, and house the child and provide for their educational and medical needs. At our law office, we know how to balance the two sides of the child support equation: the child’s needs and the needs of both parents. Let us examine your case and help you determine if you and your child could benefit from child support modifications Upland CA.
Changes for the Child
If your child’s expenses have suddenly changed dramatically, it’s definitely time to look into child support modifications Upland CA. For example, if your child gets accepted into an expensive private school or develops a severe medical condition, more child support will be required. If your child gets a scholarship or decides to quit expensive violin lessons or other activities, the child support payments can be reduced accordingly.
Changes for the Parent Receiving Support
We often get modification requests from the parent receiving the child support, because they keep the closest eye on support and expenses. Usually this parent is requesting an increase in child support. For example, if the parent receiving child support gets laid off, they will need more support in order to maintain the child’s standard of living. They would also be within their rights to request an increase in child support when the child’s other parent gets a new job or a raise. The rationale behind this is that it is best to have very similar standards of living in the households that the child splits their time between.
Changes for the Parent Paying Support
To the parent paying child support, the added expense can often seem like a big burden. Naturally, these parents wish to do everything possible to reduce their burden by making the other parent pay a larger share. Situations in which it would be fair to reduce child support include the parent paying support losing their job or having their wages garnished in a legal settlement. They may also request a reduction in child support if the other parent gets a new source of income or remarries.
If you are not the custodial parent, it will be very important to keep up with changes in your child’s life and to maintain open lines of communication with the custodial parent, so that you can quickly identify circumstances that might make child support modifications Upland CA necessary. If you see a situation that might justify an increase or decrease in child support, just call us for an expert opinion on your chances of successfully petitioning for a modification.
