When things get sour, and marriage has to end, you should understand that the lives of children must go on. To give them the best lives, child support should be paid to the custodial parent. This article will give you a few things you must understand about child support. Read on:
You need a lawyer
A child support lawyer is very important. He will save you money and the embarrassments of airing dirty lines in public. Each partner must have their lawyer. Discuss with them and agree on the amounts you are both comfortable with. If you fail to agree in front of your attorneys, there is no option than going to court. Your lawyers will be of importance even in court. Let them represent you. They will argue the case in your favor to make sure that you get what you want. The court will at the end of the day make the final ruling.
Pay the agreed amount
After the decision on the amount to pay has been reached, you must honor it. Always take note of each payment or keep documents proving your payment. Failure to owner your promise results to court penalties. The court might decide to jail you if you default continuously. If the court proves that you have money, but you decided not to pay, they will take it directly from your bank. The wise choice here is to make the agreed payments on time.
Payments might fluctuate
After the court’s ruling, spouses think that they will make a certain amount month after month until their death. Well, this is not the case. The amounts paid can change depending on your current situation. If you lost your job, for example, the court will stop or reduce the amount until you are stable again. You might be forced to pay more if the custodial parent lost their job or going through hard financial times. All you need to do is report your case to your lawyer, who will take it to the judge for review.
Track your payments
Even if things seem to be good for you and your ex and you are making your child support payments as agreed, never trust them. Some might decide to take revenge on you by reporting to the judge that you have not been making the payments. To be safe, keep records of your payments just in case things turn against you.
