Seasoned Child Support Lawyers In Orange County

By Author: Yanez Bettina
Total Articles: 1
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The laws governing child support differ in different states, and it is important to understand which laws apply to you in the state you reside. Regardless of a pending divorce, it is the responsibility of both parents to ensure that the child is well provided for. You must therefore consult a family law attorney at the earliest stage, to ensure that both you and your children’s best interests are preserved in the dissolution agreement. This family attorney in Orange County is very well versed in matters of child custody and child support. You will be guided in working out the present and future needs of all the children, and reach an agreement with your spouse as to how these needs shall be catered for.

There are specified guidelines in the state of California regarding amounts to be paid in child support, which are referred to as awards. This is why you must have with you a knowledgeable orange county child custody attorney to help you navigate the proceedings which would be daunting at best to you without good counsel by your side. In a child support proceeding, an appropriate award is calculated following the guidelines ...
... stipulated in the relevant family law statutes. Factors determining the magnitiude of award are such as:

Parent’s income after tax

Costs of healthcare, insured and uninsured

Daycare and/or nanny expenses

Amount of time that is spent with the child by the non-custodial parent

Current commitments pertaining to child suppot

Number of children the couple has

Hardship deductions

Sometimes, the court may use its discretion to raise or lower child support awards based on certain determinant factors, for instance:

If the parties request for a different amount

Family residence sale of deferred sale

If the parent required to pay child support has either very low income or income exceeding the needs of the children

Special needs of the children

If the parent paying child support incurs substantial travel expenses to meet their visitation obligations.

The family law attorney in Orange County has experience in representing both spectra of the child support requirement, helping you to either maximize or minimize the awards depending on your needs and the best interests of the child. In cases where income cannot be ascertained by direct methods, such as when the parent is self-employed, this family law attorney will hire a forensic expert to determine that parent’s true income and expenses to prevent misrepresentation of these to the court in order to shirk responsibility.

Even after completion of a family’s child support hearing, circumstances may change necessitating a modification hearing, such as when one parent loses their job, fails to meet their child support obligations or the child’s needs change in such a manner as to raise their child support requirement. In such cases the family attorney in Orange County will represent you in all subsequent hearings to modify child support awards. Typically, child support is binding until the child attains the age of 18, or 19, provided they are still in high school. This period may be extended in special circumstances, for example if the child is unable to fend for their needs due to disability.

Bettina Yanez is the author of this article on orange county divorce lawyer. Find more information, about Orange County divorce lawyers here