Child Support Attorney: 3 Common Child Support Mistakes To Avoid
Often, spouses have valid reasons why they can't put up with their partner's behavior, thus, opting to divorce. But even as your divorce lawyer helps you handle the divorce proceedings, child support will definitely be an inevitable topic if you have kids. Unfortunately, some spouses are hesitant to care for or support a child they don't live with. However, this is legally wrong because kids deserve your support, whether you go your separate ways or not. You should, therefore, take child support seriously because you may face serious legal issues when you ignore it. If you don't know what it entails, hire a local child support attorney to guide you. You can have a good child support agreement or plan, provided you don't make the following three mistakes.
Giving False Information About Your Income
Various things, including your income or earnings, are used when determining or calculating how much you should pay as child support. The court actually expects you to give reliable details of your current income to calculate what you should pay. It also analyzes your child's expenses to make your child support plan as fair as possible. However, you may face serious legal issues when you lie about your income. For instance, you risk hefty fines, and your custody and visitation rights could be affected. So if you are asked to pay child support, don't give false information about your income.
Keeping Income Changes to Yourself
As a co-parent, you should let your child support lawyer and ex-spouse know when your income changes. It's a good idea because it helps them modify the child support plan or agreement. So whether you have lost your job or got promoted, you should let them know. If you, for instance, lost your job, talk to your child support lawyer and see if they would help you make favorable changes. They could even ask the other parent to understand your situation. Likewise, let the lawyer know you got promoted to update the agreement because you could eventually pay more if your ex-spouse discovers it. Actually, you risk harsh legal consequences when you keep income changes to yourself.
Paying Less Than You Are Obliged to Pay
In most cases, the court expects you to pay a specific amount of child support. Unfortunately, most people don't know the implications of not doing it. Even if the other parent allows you to pay less, you could be in trouble if the court realizes you didn't pay it in full or as ordered. In fact, the court could order you to pay all the pending arrears plus some interest. So ensure you meet the court's requirements and always inform it when you feel it's necessary to modify the support agreement.
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