Child support is a critical aspect of the divorce process. It ensures that the child receives the necessities to survive and thrive in today's world. In addition, child support payments also ensure that the custodial parent has money at his/her disposal to provide the child with all other necessary expenses, including entertainment and educational needs.The current basis for determining how much a non-custodial parent must pay per month to support the child(ren) is based on statutory guidelines established by each state.
These guidelines are in place to ensure that the custodial parent has sufficient money to raise the children to a level equal to that of both parents prior to divorce. They do not necessarily take into consideration what is best for the children or how much time they spend with each parent.What is child support?Child support, alimony, and spousal support are terms used to describe money one spouse pays to the other after a divorce or separation. Support can be temporary or permanent, depending on your circumstances and state law.
Child support is money paid to help pay for the needs of your children. Family courts usually order child support when you and your spouse legally separate or divorce. Child support may also be ordered if the parent who has physical custody of the child is not actually the biological parent.Child support may be ordered in addition to other alimony payments. Some states allow a court to order child support in addition to awarding alimony (spousal support). Other states require that one of the spouses receive both child support and alimony.
Agreed amountThe amount of child support that a non-custodial parent is required to pay may be agreed upon between the parents, or it may be ordered by a court in the appropriate state. The custodial parent may agree to accept less support than the amount which the non-custodial parent might be obligated to pay, based on an income and expense declaration or tax return of the non-custodial parent.Failure to pay child supportIn many states, failure to pay child support can result in jail time for the non-custodial parent.
In some jurisdictions, the non-custodial parent must also maintain health insurance for any children who are covered under the order; if insurance lapses, it can result in an automatic increase in the amount of child support owed.Assistance in child support amount paymentIf you are a non-custodial parent who has fallen behind on child support payments, you might be feeling the pain of your irresponsible behavior. You might also be wondering if there's any hope for you to dig yourself out of your financial hole.
The good news is that it's possible for you to do just that, but only if you begin taking steps in the right direction.The best way to start paying off your child support arrears is by realizing that what you're facing is a series of missed payments, not some kind of permanent disability that prevents you from ever contributing to the financial needs of your children again.The reality is that if you have fallen behind on your child support obligations, there are plenty of ways to get back on track. You merely have to take charge and make a plan for getting out of debt. The only thing standing between you and a clean financial slate is time and effort.