Child support can be a stressful and contentious topic for parents. Whether you’ve recently separated and desperately need money to support your child or you’re trying to enforce a child support order against a parent who won’t pay up, you’ve come to the right place. You may disagree with the way your spouse is spending child support and want to know if his or her actions are legal. Maybe you feel a modification of child support is necessary due to a change in the financial situation, but don’t know where to start.
Obtaining Child Support
If you haven’t applied for child support yet, there are important first steps to take to take. You could make a child support agreement with your co-parent outside the court setting, such as through mediation or informal negotiations. You could also obtain a child support order from a court. Either way, you need to know where the other parent is, establish legal fatherhood or paternity, and determine the appropriate amount for child support using your state’s guidelines.
