How Much Child Support Are You Entitled To?

If you're like most parents facing divorce, securing sole or joint custody will be a top priority. Obtaining custody is only part of the battle.  Once you have resolved custody of your children, you must deal with the financial part to support your children. In some cases, child support may be ordered to help cover the costs of raising children. Our Lake of the Ozarks family attorneys are here to help you get a general understanding of how child support orders work and how to determine how much support you are entitled to.

How Does Child Support Work?

 Simply put, child support is a court-issued order designed to help distribute the cost of raising children between parents who are not together.  If one parent is awarded sole custody or a majority of the parenting time, that parent will likely shoulder the financial burden of raising children on a day-to-day basis. In order to help offset these costs, the court may order the non-custodial parent to provide "child support" in the form of monthly financial contributions.

 How Is Child Support Calculated?

It is up to the court to decide which (if either) parent should be required to pay child support and how much money will be owed. The Missouri Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (referred to as a Form 14) is a complex form that is used to calculate the presumed amount of child support a parent may be required to pay. The form takes into account a variety of different factors, such as:
  • Each party's current income
  • The number of children involved
  • Whether or not a party is/will be required to pay alimony
  • How much alimony is owed (if applicable)
  • Cost of daycare
  • Cost of children's health insurance
  • The amount of visitation time the non-custodial parent receives
  • Each party's supplementary benefits (social security, unemployment, food stamps, etc)

By calculating these various costs, the court will determine a presumed amount of child support and the court is likely to order the non-custodial parent pay said amount. It is important to recognize that the court may only focus on the child-rearing costs when calculating a child support order - other expenses such as rent/mortgage, car payments, and debts are may not factored into the equation.

Can You Modify Child Support Orders?

As most people will agree, the only constant in life is change. As your children grow, their needs (and the amount of money required to meet those needs) may change. If your child support order was issued several years ago, it may no longer be relevant to your current situation. It is possible to modify child support orders, but the to determine if you are eligible to file for a modification, you may need the assistance of an experienced Lake of the Ozarks divorce attorney.

Contact Us For Assistance

If you are currently working to establish a child support order, need to modify an existing order, or would simply like to learn more about the process, we encourage you to reach out to the Law Offices of Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, & Welch, P.C. We look forward to serving you.
Law Offices of Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, & Welch, P.C.
The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertising. When you need a knowledgeable attorney, we invite you to contact us to set up a consultation. Evening and weekend appointments are available. We have access to interpreters.

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