When your marriage ends, and you had children, you should remember that the lives of the children have to go on. To give them the lives they deserve you need to pay child support to the custodial parent. If you are going through a divorce here are a few things you should know about child support:
You need a child support lawyer
To save money and avoid airing your dirty linens in public, it's highly recommended that you work with a reputable child support lawyer. You should have your lawyer, and your former spouse should also have his/her's. Both of you should have a discussion with your attorneys and agree on an amount that you are comfortable with.
It's only when you fail to agree that you should drag each other to court. Even in court, you should have a lawyer by your side. Here the professional will argue the case in your favor to ensure that the court doesn't make a ruling that you pay more than you can afford.
You have to pay the agreed amount
When you make a commitment to be paying a given amount as child support, you should note that you have to pay it. Failure to making the payments would result in court penalties. If you routinely fail to make the payments, the court may even decide to jail you. If the court deems that you have the money, but you are deliberately refusing to pay, it might choose to get the money directly from the bank or the company.
The monthly payments can fluctuate
When many people are ordered by the court to be making the payments, they have the notion that they need to make endless amounts at the end of every month for the rest of their lives. Far from this. The amount given by the court can fluctuate depending on your situation. If the custodial parent loses his/her job, the court can order that you make larger monthly payments. On the other hand, if you lose a job or your business fails, you should work with your family lawyer and present the issue to the judge. If there is proof that you are doing badly financially, the judge may rule that you make small contributions.
You need to work with your Ex
Most divorces are emotional, and many people don't want to see each other after the divorce. If you have a child together and you have made the decision to raise him/her, you need to put your emotions aside and work together. Regularly, you need to be communicating and know the condition of the children. You will also need to meet with the children and spend time with them.
You have to track your payments
Even if you are in good terms with your Ex and you are making the child support payments religiously, don't trust him/her. He/she can report that you don't make the payments which can be problematic on your part. To keep yourself covered, keep copies of the documents that you use for the payments. These can be receipts, bank slips, and any other documents that you might have used.
