You want what’s best for your child, and that includes financial support. In the event that things don’t work out with your child’s father, you owe it to your child to pursue child support.

How do I get child support in place?

Child support can be awarded as part of a divorce action, but it doesn’t have to be. If you and your child’s father weren’t married, you can still petition for child support (as well as custody and visitation) in the juvenile court.

Does child support increase – or decrease – over time?

Child support is also modifiable based on a material change in circumstances so that even once it’s been determined, you’re not stuck at a specific amount (or in a certain parenting schedule) forever. You can petition to modify, and even appeal, if you don’t get the result you want in juvenile court.

Keep in mind, too, that the number of days that each parent has with the child will impact the amount of child support.

Child support in a case where one parent has primary physical custody is different than a case where the parents share physical custody. Are you likely to get primary physical – or even sole – physical custody anymore? And, for better or for worse, we see a lot more cases where judges order shared
custody now than before, with the recent changes to the law.

For that reason, although child support is not often litigated on its own, an interest in decreasing child support can lead a non-custodial parent to fight for a greater share of the parenting time.

Child support – and custody and visitation – are based on the best interests of the child  standard.

Though child support alone isn’t contentious, a custody and visitation case can be very challenging. It’s a good idea to talk to an attorney about your child support case, as well as any related issues that may come up in either litigation or negotiation.

Having an appropriate amount of child support awarded in your case can help you provide your child with a healthy, stable home life. The more you know about how child support is calculated and
awarded, the better advocate you can be for your child.