Failure to pay child support as required is a violation of a court order. This can lead to the court issuing a contempt of court finding, which results in a steep fine. When someone is struggling to make support payments because of a decrease in income, simply not paying is unwise. Instead, hiring a Child Support Lawyer in Torrance CA to petition for modification may help.
When It’s an Uphill Battle
This effort can be an uphill battle, especially when the parents have an acrimonious relationship. The custodial parent may not be understanding about the other parent’s financial problems. Any reduction in support directly affects the custodial parent, of course. In addition, family court judges are not always sympathetic. They may decide that this individual should figure out a way to make up for the decreased income.
When the Other Parent Is Cooperative
A Child Support Lawyer in Torrance CA may convince a judge to allow a modification is there has been a marked change in the noncustodial parent’s financial circumstances. If the other parent has agreed to the modification petition, this works in the client’s favor.
It’s crucial for this agreement to be documented with the court instead of simply setting it up as a casual arrangement. If the custodial parent ever becomes disgruntled for some reason, he or she may inform the court that back child support is owed. The other parent is legally responsible for all the support that was never paid.
A Typical Example
The individual may have been earning $50,000 per year when the original support amount was determined. A dramatic change such as job loss may have cut that person’s income to a much smaller amount being paid by unemployment compensation while he or she searches for a job.
When someone can barely make ends meet because of a reduction in income, having to pay child support set at 15 percent or more of the previous income is a substantial hardship. Lawyers with a firm such as Shook & Associates Inc may be able to assist. Visit the website to get started on scheduling a consultation.
