Essentially, child support is a payment that is often ordered by the court when two parents are no longer living together. This is ordered to protect the child from the dangers of potential financial hardship, and to give the child as normal a life as possible till the child reaches adulthood. It may also be extended to include tuition and living expenses if the child goes to college. In some cases, it may be ordered even in instances where a parent does not have contact with his or her child. Child support is often a sticking point in divorce settlements, and needs to be addressed by qualified attorneys who have in-depth knowledge of child support laws, and how they work. At The Law Office of Rowena N. Nelson, we have helped many clients in Maryland, DC and Northern Virginia work through this process, and always for the benefit of our clients, and the child/children involved.
Who is responsible for paying child support?
Child support is usually paid by one parent to the other after a separation, divorce, or, in some cases, between two parents who were never married. This support goes to the parent who has sole or primary physical custody of the child. This includes upkeep and care of the child, and is usually paid on a monthly basis. However, the child must, usually, be the genetic child or the adopted child of the parent ordered to pay child support. Exceptions? If, for example, a stepparent pays for the child’s expenses while married to the child’s parent, once divorced or separated, the stepparent will usually not be required to pay child support unless there was a legal adoption.
What can child support be used for?
The purpose of child support is to protect the child from the economic impact of divorce or separation. Child support should be used for both the basic necessities such as food, shelter, childcare, and education, as well as the additional things that the child was accustomed to during the marriage. Even where the non-custodial parent is not wealthy, child support payments may benefit the custodial parent and anyone else living within the home, because child support payments can be used to pay for heat, electricity, cleaning supplies, travel costs, and car maintenance, and other expenses needed to properly care for the child.
Why you need a knowledgeable attorney to negotiate child support during the divorce
Family lawyers in Washington DC Metropolitan area including Maryland and Northern Virginia know how laws related to child custody and other elements entwined in a divorce case can be applied intelligently to help you get a positive outcome for your case. Make sure you choose the services of the best family law attorney to get the right advice and guidance.
If there’s one thing parents can usually agree to during the divorce, it’s that the health and wellbeing of the child is of the utmost importance. However, what constitutes adequate “health and wellbeing,” can often be in dispute. An enormous number of factors can come into play when determining a financial settlement. Judges do not like cases where the parties haven’t reached a settlement, and they urge the parties to do just that before coming before the bench.
At The Law Office of Rowena N. Nelson, we have the skill and experience to negotiate and reach a fair settlement with the opposing counsel for the benefit of our clients and the child involved. If you are contemplating a divorce, we will be happy to meet with you to discuss the process including child support, child custody in Largo, and a wide range of other topics tangential to the proceedings. It will be well worth your time.
