When you divorce, you have to make difficult decisions about money and kids. This can get emotional when it comes to child support, as both are impacted. Your priority is that your children are supported both developmentally and financially. You want to make sure the right parenting plan is in place and that there are sufficient resources to care for your children. Connecticut’s Child Support Guidelines govern child support, but there are possible deviations to consider. These deviations can be complicated and can increase or decrease child support. Our Connecticut child support lawyers can help you.
Child Support Guidelines Deviation Formula
HOW IS CHILD SUPPORT DETERMINED?
To determine child support, family courts consider the Connecticut Child Support Guidelines formula, plus the needs of the child, and a series of factors including the parents’:
- Age
- Health
- Station
- Occupation
- Earning capacity
- The amount and sources of income
- Estate
- Vocational skills
Child Support Guidelines Deviation Formula
Many people know there is a formula for calculating child support in Connecticut. What most people don’t know is that courts don’t always follow the Child Support Guidelines calculation. If you’re wondering whether you have to follow the child support formula, it’s good to know that it’s possible to deviate from the formula under certain conditions. The deviation criteria that determine your eligibility to deviate from the calculation include: other financial resources available to a parent, extraordinary expenses, needs of other dependents, coordination of total family support, and other special circumstances.
A deviation can occur when the parents agree to a lesser or higher amount of child support than is dictated by the formula, and the court agrees. Sometimes parents reach a child support agreement via negotiation in a litigation, mediation, or collaborative divorce. In other cases, the Judge decides that following the child support calculation would be inequitable or inappropriate. Freed Marcroft’s child support attorneys can explain the ins-and-outs of what is required to deviate up or down from the child support formula, and help you move forward towards your goals for you and your children.
MODIFICATION OF CONNECTICUT CHILD SUPPORT ORDER
There is no automatic recalculation to adjust or modify child support. In order to modify a child support order, there must be a substantial change in circumstances such as an increase (or decrease) in one parent’s income, need for support, or a permanent change in the parenting plan. It’s critical to note that an agreement between parents to change child support isn’t sufficient. The agreement isn’t a binding court order until it is entered and ruled upon by a court. In the meantime, the court’s original child support order stands. Freed Marcroft’s lawyers have the depth of knowledge and experience about child support and the Connecticut courts to deploy the most strategic Post Judgment child support motions for you.
COLLECTING UNPAID CHILD SUPPORT
Once a child support order is in place, it is binding. If the other parent is behind in child support payments, you have legal options for collecting the money. For example, your ex may be found in contempt of court. Other options include a driver’s license suspension, a property lien against his or her property, or wage garnishment. Under most circumstances, child support is paid until a child turns 18. It’s important to know your legal rights if the other parent is defying the divorce decree. Our Connecticut child support lawyers will go over your legal options and help you proceed, so you can collect the child support you need to care for your family.
