A child support dispute, despite being a critical follow up to a separation, is a complicated area, one that parents likely aren’t equipped to deal with without the help of a experienced child support attorney like Randy H. Kaplan. While the topic of child support runs deep in its content, it helps to start with a basic understanding. Our child support attorney has help residents in Jenkintown and surrounding navigate the complicated road when it comes to financial responsibility when a child is involved.  Here are four commonly asked questions about child support.

By rule of law, parents are responsible for ensuring that their children have all they need financially until they’ve outgrown their dependence (usually when the child turns 18). As a general format, the child support fee comprises funds paid to the parent who most often takes care of the child by the parent who spends the least amount of time with the child. These funds are meant to cover the costs of tending to the child.

It’s possible for two partners to come to a mutual agreement on child support amounts before going to court, though this depends on the case in question. For instance, if the situation involves family lawyers and child custody disputes, it’s likely that the amounts associated to child support will be settled in court. If the matter is settled entirely in court, the judge will take the following factors into consideration:

• Type of custody arrangement (shared, split, etc.)
• Undue hardship (financial factors that make it difficult for the payor to meet standard child support demands)
• Special or extraordinary expenses (daycare, fees associated to special needs, etc.)
• Retroactive support (child or spousal support that should have been given before the court case was initiated, but was not).

Depending on the case at hand, the judge may take additional factors into consideration. In all cases, parties are advised to consult their child support lawyers to learn what the judge will potentially consider during trial.

When two partners agree on child support, they finalize their agreement into a written contract (known as a separation agreement). It should be noted that, even if the two parties don’t agree on all factors pertaining to child support, it’s still worthy to note what they do agree on, as this will help the flow of court proceedings.

Since child support is a child’s right under rule of law, a parent cannot consent to stop receiving child support simply because of disagreements involving their partner. If both parties cannot agree on child support, a Jenkintown child support lawyer can help either side’s dispute in court, or a party can go to court directly and ask a judge to decide on the case.

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