Question:
I was recently laid off. How much child support am I obligated to pay?
Answer:
I have not been retained as your attorney so I cannot give you legal advice. However, I can offer some general information that may help you.
In the state where I practice, which is Arkansas, you will have to continue to pay court-ordered child support until the order is changed. If you are being ordered to pay child support through a custody order or divorce decree, then –if Georgia is similar to Arkansas—you can file a “Motion to Modify Child Support.”
A motion is a written request to the court. In your motion, you will have to prove to the court that there has been an ongoing “material change in circumstances” to justify a change in your child support obligation. In Arkansas, if your income has changed by 20% or $100 monthly through no fault of your own, then this could be enough to show the court there has been a change.
If you are being ordered to pay child support through a court order that was established through the state’s Office of Child Support Enforcement then, at least in Arkansas, you are required to a review of your income every 3 years.
However, if you income has decreased, or even increased, by $100 monthly or 20% through no fault of your own, then you can request a review by the Office of Child Support Enforcement sooner.
To arrange an initial consultation to discuss divorce rights for men with a Cordell & Cordell attorney, including Arkansas divorce lawyer Giana M. Messore, contact Cordell & Cordell.
Dan Pearce is an Online Editor for Lexicon, focusing on subjects related to the legal services of customers, Cordell & Cordell and Cordell Planning Partners. He has written countless pieces on MensDivorce.com, detailing the plight of men and fathers going through the divorce experience, as well as the issues seniors and their families experience throughout the estate planning journey on ElderCareLaw.com. Mr. Pearce has managed websites and helped create content, such as the Men’s Divorce Newsletter and the YouTube series, “Men’s Divorce Countdown.” He also has been a contributor on both the Men’s Divorce Podcast and ElderTalk with TuckerAllen.
Mr. Pearce assisted in fostering a Cordell Planning Partners practice area specific for Veterans, as they deal with the intricacies of their benefits while planning for the future. He also helped create the Cordell Planning Partners Resource Guide and the Cordell Planning Partners Guide to Alternative Residence Options, specific for seniors with questions regarding their needs and living arrangements.
