Support
Support that covers breakfast, braces and the bus fee
Child support is worked out with a formula, from both parents' incomes, the number of overnights and costs like health insurance and child care. Alimony is decided case by case.
The formula is only as good as the numbers that go into it. We gather pay stubs, tax returns and the real cost of insurance and day care, check the other side's figures, and show you the likely amount before anyone signs. When a job is lost or a child's needs change, we ask the court to change the order.
What we handle
Setting support, and changing it
First orders
Child support set as part of a divorce or parenting case, or on its own.
Income questions
Self-employment, overtime, cash jobs and a parent earning less than they could.
Alimony
Whether it's owed, for how long and how much, in a divorce or after one.
Changes
A request to raise or lower support after a real change in income or needs.
Missed payments
Collecting support that hasn't been paid, through the court.
Extras
Health insurance, uncovered medical bills, child care and school costs.
Support questions
What parents ask about the numbers
Can we agree on a different amount?
Sometimes. A judge usually has to approve an amount that differs from the formula, and will want to know why it still serves the children.
I lost my job. Does support stop?
No, not on its own. Ask the court to change the order as soon as possible; until it does, the old amount keeps adding up.
Does support end at eighteen?
Usually around then, with exceptions, such as a child still in high school. We'll look at what your order says.
Bring last year's tax return
With it and a recent pay stub, we can show you the likely number at the first meeting.