divorce lawyer

Child Support Attorneys: Things To Know When Paying Child Support

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When you part with your partner and children are involved, you have to pay child support. This is the amount of money you pay to cater for the living expenses of your children. The law requires both parents to contribute to the proper upbringing of their children, but in most cases, the non-custodial parent is the one who pays money to the custodial parent. Are you the one paying child support? Here are a few things you should know:

You need a child support lawyer

You hired a lawyer when you were going through a divorce and it might still be hurting your wallet. Chances are that the amount you are supposed to pay for child support was determined when you were divorcing.

When you start paying for child support, you need a child support lawyer. The lawyer will guide you on how to go about the issue. Are you uncomfortable paying the amount set by the court? The child support lawyers will help you in presenting the issues in court and convince the court you can’t make the set amounts.

When hiring the lawyers, you shouldn’t hire just any professional you come across. For you to get the best results, hire a professional who is highly experienced in dealing with child support issues. The professional should also have a great personality so that you can have an easy time working with him/her.

Always pay on time

Since most people feel they shouldn’t be making the payments, they often make the payments late. Others fail to make payments for a few months with the intention of catching up later on. Don’t do this.

When you always make payments late, you risk pissing off your ex-partner. Your partner can also go to court citing inconsistency on your part. When they report you, you risk facing serious penalties that can result in loss of driver’s license, forfeited tax returns, jail time, and garnished checks.

When you are having money problems, you shouldn’t simply stop making the payments. The best way is to let the court know what you are going through and if you have been consistent in making the payments, and there is proof that you are going through a hard time, the court is in most cases ready to make the necessary adjustments.

Keep records of everything

When you were living with your partner and children, you didn’t care the amount of money you spent on them. This is no longer the case. Now you have to not the amount you spend and keep records of it. Keep receipts or receipt images of all the expenses you make for your child. This includes clothing, doctor visits, and any other thing.

The point of doing this isn’t to know how much you are spending on the child, it is to protect yourself in the event your ex-partner makes an argument that you aren’t making the necessary payments. The receipts serve as proof that you have been faithful in your payments.

The records also come in handy when renegotiating the child support payments

Go ahead and stop payments when the time is right

One of the most attractive things about child support is that it isn’t forever. It will come a time when you will stop making that dreaded cheque. Some of these situations include:

When the child is old enough: You are supposed to make child support payments until your child is 18. When your child reaches the maturity age, you should stop making the payments.

You live with your partner: It’s not uncommon to see divorced couples getting back together. Since you are already living together as a family, you don’t need to pay child support. Unlike when the child attains maturity age, you shouldn’t simply stop making the payments when you start living with your partner—let the court know about your arrangement.

You no longer have money: Shit happens in life. When you lose your job, or the business goes down and you no longer have money, you can’t make payments as you used to. If you don’t have money to pay, you should work with divorce lawyers Fairfax VA and present the issue in court and let the judge know why you can no longer make the payments.

You should note that you need proof for the judge to make the necessary adjustments. In most cases, the court will require you to make a minimum amount regardless of your situation. Remember, the children have to eat regardless of your financial condition.

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7 Questions About Uncontested Divorce You Should Ask

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What you should know about uncontested divorce? Let’s know!

Q: What actually in an uncontested divorce?

A: It is kind of an undisputed divorce where a family lawyer helps to sort out all key points and come to an agreement between both parties mutually beforehand so all paper work can be done smoothly in the court. Any dispute even over a small thing will lead to having a contested divorce which is much more expensive than an uncontested divorce. These key issues may include:

  • Child custody
  • Child support
  • Visitation rights of another parent
  • Spousal support
  • Division of property
  • Division of debt including all liabilities and taxes

Q: Do we need a lawyer in uncontested divorce cases?

A: Yes, you do need a lawyer as agreement of key points beforehand is not so easy when you are ending a marriage. Your family lawyer might help you to come to any conclusion much easily rather than just making unending arguments at home without any professional help. Or your lawyer can also help you to connect to a mediator to make the process undisputed and end with a smooth uncontested divorce.

Q: What are the major benefits of an uncontested divorce?

A: The most important benefits of an uncontested divorce are no wastage of time and money. Uncontested divorce does not cost you much plus you don’t have to appear for multiple hearings in the court every other week. It saves you a lot of money and time while there are several other benefits too which are good enough to opt for an uncontested divorce. For instance, you don’t have to go through an emotional trauma when you are blamed for something in the court in front of everyone or you won’t have to have any heated arguments in the court. This emotional trauma obviously leads anyone to a depression phase of life when you feel being insulted and humiliated while you are not even sure about the final conclusions.

Q: In how much time we can get free from official proceedings?

A: Generally, an uncontested divorce lawyer always tries to sort out all the official proceedings within a month but it can take some more time as well. In fact, sometimes it can be completed even in less than a month but all depends on your state and the judge who will help you in closing the case. The total time frame also depends on your preparation as well like how well you have prepared all the documents and agreements so judge do not have to make thorough study on his/her own. But most commonly, you can consider the time frame of one month for all official proceedings of your divorce.

Q: Does it require the willingness of both spouses to proceed for an uncontested divorce?

A: Yes, it does require willingness of both partner otherwise you cannot opt for an uncontested divorce in anyway. It is simple and clear to convince your partner to have an uncontested divorce process which is good for mental health and pocket-friendly for both of you. However, if your spouse is still unwilling to go for an uncontested divorce then you can think about mediation before reaching out to court for a traditional contested divorce. Mediation can also help you both to sort out some issues calmly rather than having some heated arguments all the time.

Q: Are there any disadvantages of an uncontested divorce?

A: Yes, there are some disadvantages as you cannot make any argument in front of a judge in court and this may lead to some unfair decisions in your favor. Although you have already finalized everything beforehand in an uncontested divorce but a divorce is always an unpleasant thing with a package of some unexpected surprises awaiting you in the court.

Q: Can the same lawyer be used by both parties in an uncontested divorce?

A: Yes, you can use a same lawyer but it is highly not recommended at all from the professionals. It is because lawyers are meant to defend you in the court when something unpleasant or unexpected happens while if you both have same lawyer then you might have to compromise somewhere you are not even at fault. It is better to take advice from your uncontested divorce attorney Fairfax VA over this matter since it is like hitting your foot with an axe intentionally.

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