How Much Will Child Support Payments Be?
Roughly 50% of custodial parents receive child support payments from the parent with limited or no physical custody. If you have physical custody of your children, you are entitled to child support! Of course, you'll have to go through the proper channels to receive that child support. Learn more about what to expect in terms of child support payments.
How much should you expect child support payments to be?
The median amount of child support custodial parents receive comes to $1800 a month. However, a judge will take numerous items into consideration for each case, including the number of children involved, parental income, and the custodial parent's household expenses.
You will put yourself in the best position to get the most money if you have the proper documentation to prove your financial situation, such as paystubs and childcare receipts.
It's also important to note that child support payments vary by state. Massachusetts has the highest average child support payments of $1,187/month per child. Virginia has the lowest child support payments at $402/month per child.
Why might a child support claim get denied?
The judge will need to approve your child support claim. In most cases, the judge will approve a reasonable claim. However, there are situations in which a parent may not have to pay child support. For example, a parent will not have to pay child support if they aren't the child's legal parent. They also won't have to pay child support if they meet certain custody requirements which vary by state. Finally, a parent will not have to pay child support if they don't have income. However, the court can enforce child support once the parent secures employment.
What happens if your ex doesn't pay child support?
If you get a child support judgment, your ex may ignore it. However, that would not be in their best interest. The judge can garnish their wages and even put them in jail. To obtain the money you're owed, you should talk to your family lawyer about your options. You may want to outsource the court order to a law firm in order to get money immediately. However, you will pay more of a fee on the total you receive.
Do you need a lawyer in your child support case?
A lawyer will help you get the money you deserve by giving you advice and negotiating for you. They will also help answer your legal questions for you throughout the process.
For more information, reach out to a child support lawyer.