Child Support
Having helped many families deal with child support issues, our family law firm, Gelman & Associates, understands the process and knows what it takes to reach a fair agreement.
Child support is the money that a non-custodial parent must pay to the custodial parent to assist in the support and expenses of the child. Child support payments are used to cover the costs of a child’s housing, food, clothing, etc.
Generally, the non-custodial parent pays the parent with whom the child resides child support as per the Child Support Guidelines. We say generally, because there are exceptions to this rule, i.e. if the parties have shared parenting of the child, or the non-custodial parent can demonstrate that it would cause him or her undue hardship to pay full child support, etc.
In order to determine how much child support is payable in your case according to the Child Support Guidelines, we suggest referring to the following website: Federal Child Support.
It is not uncommon for the non-custodial parent to also pay the custodial parent additional money, over and above the quantum of child support set by the Child Support Guidelines. For example, a non-custodial parent may be required to contribute towards a child’s daycare costs, private school tuition, medical expenses, orthodontia, etc.
A court may order not just biological parents to pay child support. Any individual who has stood in the role of a parent to a child can be ordered to pay child support for that child. If a step-parent has contributed to the support and expenses of a child, s/he may be responsible for child support payments.
At Gelman & Associates our family law firm understands that, during your difficult time, children involved must be taken care of. Our lawyers will be able to answer any questions including the Child Support Guidelines. Call Gelman & Associates today and speak to one of our experienced lawyers.