Parents owe their children not only emotional support, but financial support. This obligation persists whether the parents are married, divorcing, or have never been married. When the parents of a child live separately, the courts can require one parent to provide financial support to the other to be used for the support of the child. A skilled family law attorney will assist in determining a parent’s responsibility for paying child support.
If you are going through a divorce or custody case, it is best to discuss the potential for recovering child support with a family attorney. Determining the degree to which each parent is financially responsible for their child’s continued care is often a source of significant disagreement in divorce, separation, or allocation of parental responsibility proceedings. A Littleton child support lawyer could advise you on your rights to receive child support or help you enforce an existing court order.
While Colorado state law has codified various aspects of how child support amounts are determined in objective terms, there is still a lot our seasoned family attorneys could do to ensure your income, degree of liability, and best interests are all communicated effectively. In addition to negotiating and advocating on your behalf during the initial issuance of a support agreement, a Littleton child support lawyer could also help you seek modification or enforcement of such an agreement should it ever become necessary. Our highly experienced attorneys at Colorado Divorce Law Group will help you achieve a favorable outcome.
Colorado Revised Statutes §14-10-115 defines how state courts should approach, interpret, and make rulings on matters of child support in Littleton. To summarize, this statute establishes that child support obligations should be calculated proportionally based on factors focused on the child’s needs and the ability of each individual parent to pay based on their monthly income.
As a general rule of thumb, Colorado utilizes a child support calculator to take all of these factors into account. The primary issues concern the amount of overnights spent with each parent, income of the parents, health insurance costs, and extraordinary expenses.
However, unique circumstances like the child’s general standard of living while their parents were together, any long-term medical issues they have, and any other specific needs they have may impact how much support their parents are collectively expected to provide. For example, children who attend private school, are enrolled in extensive extracurricular activities, travel for the purposes of parenting time may impact child support.
Further, determining a parent’s income is oftentimes a disputed issue. Some parents’ incomes are straight-forward with W-2 incomes. However, some parents are self-employed or engaged in business ventures, which can quickly complicate an income determination. A local child support attorney could help an individual parent estimate what their obligation will likely be based on their and their child’s circumstances.
Depending on the circumstances, child support payments must be provided until the child turns 19, until the child turns 21 if they are still attending high school, or indefinitely if the child has a physical or mental disability that leaves them unable to support themselves. If a parent’s ability to pay changes significantly at any point during this time, they or the child’s other parent can file a motion to modify a child support agreement with help from a child support lawyer in Littleton.
Child support disputes can be contentious and have lasting effects on you and your financial security. Ensuring that a child support award from the court is equitable is one way an attorney could help with your case.
A Littleton child support lawyer could help you make your case during a child support hearing. Call Colorado Divorce Law Group today to schedule a consultation.
