Rockville Child Support Attorneys

How does Montgomery County determine the amount of child support?

Child support obligations differ depending on whether the parents have shared custody or if one parent has sole physical custody. The general priorities in child support agreements and awards are:

• The amount of income each parent earns. Income includes salaries, freelance income, business income, retirement benefits, disability benefits, and other types of earnings. We review your co-parent’s financial records and assets in complete detail to accurately account for all income.
• The number of children. Each minor child is entitled to support. This includes children from prior marriages or relationships.
• Court guidelines. Montgomery County uses prepared guidelines that review the income of each parent and the number of children who need support. The guidelines then dictate how much support one parent will pay to the other. Payments are often processed through the Montgomery County support system and then paid to the sole physical custodian.
• The number of overnight stays with each parent. If the parents share custody, then the courts require that the percentage of time a child spends with each parent be assessed. An adjustment from the base amount of support is then made to reflect the percentage.
• Additional adjustments. Montgomery County courts also review existing child support payments for other children from prior relationships, whether alimony is being paid, and any other financial benefits the child is receiving. If the combined income of the parents is more than $15,000 each month, then additional child support considerations are made to benefit the child.

How can child support orders be modified?

Once a child support order is made, it can only be changed if there is a major change in circumstance. Examples of significant changes includes:

• The parent paying for support loses his/her job.
• The parent paying for support gets a better-paying job or is earning more income.
• A child’s health changes.
• The physical custody arrangement changes.

The duty to pay child support usually ends when the child reaches the age of majority, which is age 18 or until they graduate from high school or turns 19 whichever happens first. There are exceptions as in cases where a child is mentally or physically disabled and is unable to provide for themselves. Also, if the child joins the military before they graduate from high school, you may no longer be legally obligated to support them financially.

Parents who fail to pay child support can be ordered into court to explain the failure. If no legitimate reason is presented, our lawyers may request that the payor’s wages be garnished or that the parent be placed in jail until the support arrearages are paid.