Child support is the amount of money the non-custodial parent must pay the other. The purpose of child support is to pay for expenses related to the child or children. Child support laws and calculations can be confusing and complex so it is important to have an experienced attorney representing your interests .
As part of a divorce matter, child support will typically be determined by the Court when the divorce is granted. However, you or your attorney can file for child support in Family Court without filing for divorce. Once a petition is filed and served upon the other party, a court date will be set. At the initial court appearance, your attorney can negotiate for a temporary order of support or request a hearing be set to determine temporary support during the pendency of your matter.
In its most basic terms, child support is a dollar amount that one parent pays to the other to help support their child. If there’s literally an equal split of time, the parent who makes more money usually pays support to the other parent. In cases where one parent has the child more than fifty percent of the time, they will typically receive child support. In all cases, parents can come to an agreement on child support payments, as long as the amount to be paid does not deviate that much from the child support guidelines.
Every case is different, of course. When parents can’t agree on the amount, a judge will have to follow particular guidelines to determine how much child support gets paid and by whom. The guidelines require consideration of income from both parents, the custodial arrangement, the number of children and many other factors. Statutory Guidelines govern these decisions but gives judges flexibility to adjust amounts as may be fair and equitable.
Contact Langley Law Firm online or by calling (314) 216-7183 to learn more about child support. We are centrally located in St. Louis County near Creve Ceour and Maryland Heights, right next to I-270 and Westport Plaza. We are just minutes away from downtown St. Louis, Brentwood, Chesterfield, Clayton, Ferguson, Florissant, Ladue, Richmond Heights, Manchester, St. Charles, St. Peters and Illinois. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to call our office today for a FREE consultation with an attorney.
