Is Seeking a Child Support Modification Right for Your Family?
If you are thinking of seeking a child support modification, then you have been through the process of determining child support before. It isn’t exactly a quick process. There are a lot of factors to consider when determining how child support should be handled for parents of a child living in separate households. However, child support agreements cannot always account for changes in income or changes in a child’s situation. Should a parent in Maryland seek to modify their child support agreement if it is no longer functioning?
There are a few reasons why a person might want to seek a modification of their child support agreement. One reason is a drastic change in income. If a parent is no longer making what they once did, or if they are making a lot more than they once were, it may be time to update the child support agreement. Also, if the needs of the child have changed drastically, child support should be modified to reflect that change as well. Whether you are the paying parent or receiving parent, or you wish to increase or decrease the child support amount, parents have the right to seek modification to the child support agreement.
Remember that the basis for the change must keep the best interests of the child in mind. However, income fluctuations can make a huge impact on the parents and child’s situation, so these factors will also be considered, as they were during the original arrangement. Keep in mind, it may be possible to talk about this with a child’s parent before bringing it to court. However, in order to modify the child support agreement permanently, any out-of-court agreements will have to be approved in family law court.
Rearing a child isn’t the easiest thing to do, especially when parents are living in separate households. However, this doesn’t have to stop parents from being the amazing parents that they are and ensuring a positive child custody situation for the child. Modifications to the child support agreement may be necessary after changes in circumstance.
Source: FindLaw, “Child Support Modification Tips,” Accessed July 17, 2017