divorce lawyers

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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The Dos and Don’ts of getting a divorce

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Every year, thousands of couples end up getting a divorce and an even greater number gets separated. Hence, the best divorce lawyers are almost always occupied with their clients. Hence, if you are planning a divorce, then get an appointment beforehand.

Sometimes, it takes no time for love to turn into hate. And this is where marriages come to an end. No matter how strong the love is, it does not take long for people to end up getting fed up of each other.

If this is something that you can relate with, then we suggest you consider getting help with a divorce or separation right away.

The dos and don’ts

Regarding that, there are a number of things that you can do. We have listed down all of these steps in this article, for your utmost guidance.

Hire an attorney who is experienced

Well, this is the very first guideline in our article for a number of reasons. Firstly, hiring the right attorney is of incredibly importance. If you have a good lawyer, he or she will advocate for you in the right away, increasing your chances of having a good case.

This is especially important for you if your spouse has already taken the help of a lawyer. If you do not have a lawyer, then you are bound to face a lot of trouble. After all, if your spouse already knows the procedures of the court, then they have a natural advantage over you.

And since you both may be competing for a share in the property, custody for the kids, and other things according to divorce laws, it is incredibly important to be ready for it. So while you are contemplating things, start looking for lawyers and get the best guidance available to you.

Even if you are an attorney yourself, a divorce is going to be an emotional experience. This is why attorneys also tend to hire other attorneys. This is especially true if the custody of children is also involved in the divorce process.

Live the life

Even if you are getting divorced, it is not the end of the world. Chances are that life may have something very good in store for you. All that you have to do, is to wait for the right time to grab the opportunity.

What if you end up meeting somebody new who loves you more than your spouse? The possibilities are endless. So, do not give up on life and start looking forward to new things.

Do not abuse substances

A big number of people get involved with substance abuse after an emotional divorce. This is because they are unable to cope up with the reality, and hence substances like alcohol give them a getaway from things.

But this is not the best thing to do, especially not when you are emotionally drained and are in need of some mental peace. Abusing alcohol or other substances is only going to make things much worse than they are. Instead, you should be focusing on other better things in life.

Conclusion

Now, you already know what to do and what not to do when you are planning to get a divorce. This is going to be particularly helpful for you if it is a contested divorce. In comparison, you may not have much to worry during an uncontested divorce.

Still, an uncontested divorce lawyer Fairfax VA can guide you through the procedures of the court, making it incredibly easier for you to manage things. These are all the things that you should and should not do when looking for a divorce from your spouse.

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