State law places an obligation on both parents to support their child financially, regardless of whether they are married. For many divorced or separated parents, the issue of child support is a major concern. Each person wants what is best for their children, but they rarely agree on what is reasonable for monthly support payments.
A dedicated family law attorney could fight for your interests and the interests of your children during a child support case. By working with a Miramar child support lawyer, you could protect your rights and avoid unnecessary conflict.
Child support is not designed to punish parents for divorcing or separating. Instead, these financial payments are intended to ensure a child has a reasonable standard of living regardless of their parent’s marital status.
Child support covers a number of expenses related to a child’s upbringing, including basic necessities like food, clothing, and medical care. These payments can also cover the child’s extracurricular activities, including sports, music lessons, summer camp, or other forms of entertainment.
Educational costs are often central in child support payments as well. These costs include everything from tuition to school supplies and tutoring. An experienced local lawyer could help parents understand what other expenses are covered by child support payments.
There is no standard amount of child support awarded in divorce cases. Instead, the court will evaluate a range of factors when deciding the amount of child support is necessary for any given circumstance.
One of the primary factors considered by the courts is the parents’ incomes. Each parent’s income includes not only their salary but also any bonuses, commissions, overtime, interest on loans, disability benefits, and royalties.
Once income is calculated, the court will rely on other factors such as the number of children in a household to determine the baseline amount of child support required under the law. After this baseline amount is set, an attorney in Miramar could make a case for increasing or decreasing the base amount of child support. However, these changes cannot make up more than five percent of the total amount of monthly support payments set as the baseline.
Most parents willingly make the child support payments that are ordered by the court. However, when they do not, there are many options for seeking enforcement options. The state has the power to suspend a parent’s driver’s license or professional license for failing to pay child support.
There are civil collection actions that could be taken as well. These include placing a lien on real property owned by the parent or garnishing their wages. In extreme cases, the court could hold a parent in contempt of court. This could lead to potential incarceration, among other penalties. These enforcement options remain available for as long as there is a deficiency, including after the child turns 18. Any parent dealing with missed child support payments should reach out to a skilled attorney in Miramar for legal help.
Dealing with child support disputes is never easy. The frustration that comes with a divorce or separation can spill over into the discussion concerning child support, further complicating matters.
A Miramar child support lawyer could help ensure your rights are protected during this legal process. To learn more, contact our office for a confidential consultation.
