Child Support

Whenever a marriage ends, or other similar circumstances happen, child support is typically issued by the court to help pay for the needs of a child. These periodic payments can be set at different amounts depending on the individual situation that you're in. To better understand how child support works in California, it's first important to realize that there are two main parties. These include the custodial and the non-custodial parent. The custodial parent is the one who receives the child support, and the non-custodial parent is the one that's paying for it.

California’s Duty to Support

According to California child support laws, each parent has an equal responsibility to support their minor in a manner that is suitable to the minor's circumstances. California considers parents to be liable for their minor until the child reaches the age of 19 years old. Typically, the custodial parent is considered to have a duty of care for the minor that is satisfied without payment. The non-custodial parent will have a duty to contribute to the minor via child support payments. The specific amount that the non-custodial parent must provide will depend on what the court deems to be within their ability.

Factors Affecting Child Support in Orange County

Child custody support in Orange County follows the California Statewide guidelines. These guidelines use various factors within a mathematical formula to calculate what the child support payment amount is. One of the most important factors is the actual average monthly income of each parent and their tax filing status.

Some other factors that influence the amount of a child support payment include the number of children the parents share, the percentage of time each parent spends with a minor, health insurance premiums, mandatory retirement contributions, and so forth. An experienced family lawyer or child support attorney in Orange County can assist you in determining what factors are going to most influence the child support payment in your individual case.

In some cases, there may be special circumstances where deviations from these guidelines need to take place. A common example of this is when the non-custodial parent has an extraordinarily high income, and the amount of the guidelines outlined well exceeds the needs of the minor. Another example of a deviation would be when a child has a special medical condition where their medical costs are more than what the guideline formula allows for.

How a Child Support Attorney Can Help You

When you're dealing with a situation like a divorce or something similar where child support is a necessary topic, it's important that you get in touch with a child support lawyer. This legal professional will be familiar with the California child support guidelines and can answer all of your questions regarding them. They can help to ensure that your financial interests are looked after and those of your minor.

Additionally, an experienced attorney can help to enforce the legal procedures necessary whenever any modification or maintenance issues occur with your existing child support payment structure. It can be extremely helpful to have an attorney that is familiar with court proceedings and understands what paperwork and orders need to be filed. This holds especially true whenever the other party has enlisted a lawyer of their own.

Call 949-852-8181 to speak to a family lawyer at the Citadel Law Corporation today.