With divorce rates at an all-time high United States, more and more parents are dealing with child support payments and orders. The child support system is set up to help children during the event of a divorce, or life change. Navigating the complicated child support system can be overwhelming for most anybody. Going through a rough separation or divorce certainly doesn’t make it anything easier. Going through a big life change can have a huge effect on one’s decision making skills. These factors are why it is important to secure help from an experienced Child Support Lawyer. A lawyer can help you understand your case and your rights, and help both parties come to a fair and feasible agreement.
Below you will learn the truth about 5 common Child Support Myths. Please keep in mind that child support laws vary by state, and your individual situation should be evaluated by a professional.
Myth #1:
Child support arrangements are final.
Truth:
Child Support arrangements are actually modifiable. If you experience disability, serious illness, a change in financial circumstances, in inheritance, or if your child ages out of the system, you may be eligible for a modification. A custodial parent may also seek additional child support as the child’s needs increase. For example, as the child gets older, they may need tutoring, want to participate in extra-curricular activities, or need extra medical care. Or, the non-custodial parent may seek a child support modification if they re-marry, and/or have more children. The purpose of this modification would be so the non-custodial parent can increase support for the subsequent children.
The court may grant a temporary or permanent modification of child support. A temporary modification would be a one-time, large sum of money to cover a certain need. Braces, after school care, a new car are all examples of a particular need that may or may not be covered by a temporary modification. A permanent modification of a child custody may be granted when the child experiences life changes. Examples would be if a child needed special medical care, or to begin attending a special school.
Myth #2:
Your child support responsibility ends when your child turns 18.
Truth:
This is a common myth that many people do not understand. In your court order, you should be able to find out when your child support agreement will end. If you can’t find the information, you can contact the child support agency in your state, or enlist the help of a professional. In most states (not all), child support continues past age 18 if the child is still living at home and attending high school, or for special situations such as special needs children. However, if the non-custodial parent is behind on child support, in many cases, arrears (or unpaid back child support) continue to be due even if regular child support ends. The United States Department of Justice goes into further detail about what consequences are in place, should one fail to pay child support as decided by the courts. You can read more here:
Myth #3:
Child support is tax deductible.
Truth:
The payer of the child support cannot deduct the money paid from his or her taxes. Just as you cannot claim most expenses incurred for your child without a child custody agreement. It is important to know that child support can interact with other aspects of taxes. For example, a portion of alimony paid for spousal support can be considered child support, and therefore not tax deductible for the payer of the alimony.
Myth #4
Child support is decided at the federal level.
Truth:
In the case of child support, there are no official national guidelines in place. Each state has its own sanctions in place for handling child custody affairs. The child support laws may vary widely by state, so it is important to seek experienced help in your child custody case. The child support laws can vary in how payment amounts are determined, how child support is paid, penalties for late payment or delinquencies, and other factors.
Myth #5
Child support directly benefits the child.
Truth:
Child support does not go directly to the child, but goes to the parent who has custody of the child. This is why it is so important to properly document your child support payments. You should always be able to provide evidence of your payments. If a court suspects misuse of the funds, modifications may be made to the child support agreement.
As stated before, when one if facing child custody and child support issues, it is important to enlist the help of an experienced family law attorney. The family law attorney will know the laws regarding child support and child custody in your state, and be able to help guide you to the best solution for your situation.
Please consult an attorney for advice about your individual situation. This site and its information is not official legal advice, nor is it intended to be. Feel free to get in touch by e-mail, letters or phone calls. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Until an attorney-client relationship is established, please withhold from sending any confidential information to us.
My soon to be ex husband receives social security. My children receive social security off him. Would he stil hv to pay child suport. He says since they receive s.s. off him he dnt hv to pay child support . Is that correct?
Well Yes and No. Their are other ways around this type of issue. If he recieves Disability, or Social Security your child support agency can do an investigation to see how much he gets. If it is a reasonable amount they can get a percentage taken out. Plus, they alway look at how much your child recieves out of his Social Security as well. If your child gets a good amount the it will be the judge’s decision to rule out the amount.
My sister has been looking for a good child support lawyer. There are a lot of things here that I didn’t know about them and child support in general. It’s good to know that it could actually extend in some cases to after they’re 18. Thanks for sharing this information.
I figured that child support didn’t directly benefit the children, but it’s a great suggestion to always keep track of what you’re paying. I’ve had a friend get burned by a situation like this in the past, and this is a good reminder to make sure you’re taking precautions. I’m sure lawyers are a great asset to have when dealing with custody and support cases.
I have a friend who is going through a divorce, and my wife and I are trying to help him get custody of his kids. I’m glad that I read this article, especially the second myth about a child that turns 18. That is definitely something that we didn’t realize so thanks for sharing this. We’ll pass along the information to our friend.
My sister is in the middle of a divorce. The process would be much faster if they didn’t have to work out child support. Her and her ex have been separated for about a year. He has been super dishonest about his money and not has wanted to come through with child support. We want to make sure he is being fair about child support!
Thank you explaining some of these common myths about child support. The most surprising thing to me is that child support doesn’t necessarily end when the child turns 18. Although that does make sense if the child is still at home and going to high school. I have cousin who is going through the process of determining child support and it has opened my eyes to the whole process. Thanks for the info!
I have been paying child support for my 2 boys in Georgia…..Im in Oklahoma……the oldest is 20 years old, out of high school for 2 years now, my child support amount has STILL not changed…….totally confused and dont know if my checks will ever stop beung garnished…..hard to get answers……
Can a non custodial parent who is still legally married decrease child support because she has another. Child by another man who she lives with
What if couple still leagAlly married have been apart for 5 years and the mother lives with another man and has another baby she is on maternity leave from the job she never reported making more money than when she first was ordered to pay and now the child support has been decreased without notice to the father who has custody
If non custodial parent has not attempted to call or see her children in over a year and lost custody social services and custody was given over 2 years ago is this considered abandonment