If you are receiving child support payments as part of an agreement or as part of a court order, you may not be getting as much as the law provides you. If you are paying child support, you may be paying more than you have to.
In Pennsylvania, a parent’s child support obligation is determined by income level, the child custody arrangement, the number of children that are being supported and other factors such as medical and day care costs. Once you have determined that you are not getting enough child support, you do have some options. You should talk to your lawyer about the pros and cons of filing a child support action.
If you decide to file a child support action, get your financial records in order. Both parents will be asked to provide copies of their most recent income tax returns, pay stubs, and proof of child care or medical care expenses. Using that information, the court will enter an order for child support based on state guidelines.
Many people prefer a child support order over a private agreement because, typically, after the order is entered, the support payment will be taken directly from the parent’s paycheck. Other people choose to keep their financial matters private and will ask their lawyers to renegotiate a private child support agreement.
If you have any questions about child support or family law, feel free to contact our office.
— Amanda Davidson