Child Support Attorney
In nearly every case involving children, there will be an order for child support. It can be an emotionally charged issue, and it’s important to know exactly what child support entails before you walk into a courtroom. At Trillium Law, we believe in supporting our clients with knowledge, experience, and reason.
A child support attorney can help you understand your case.
Child support is more than a monthly amount–it includes provisions for the entire wellbeing of the child. A judgment providing for the custody and support of a child will also include provisions for:
- Who should provide health insurance for the children
- Allocation of uninsured medical expenses
- Maintenance of other insurance, such as life insurance or other security for support
If you are the parent paying child support, you will be paying the monthly support amount directly to the other parent–even though it is for the benefit of the children. Please remember: if the custodial parent isn’t receiving support, that not only hurts the parent–but the children as well. A child support attorney can serve either a custodial parent or the parent who is being ordered to pay child support, and can be very useful in both circumstances.
What are the factors involved with child support payments?
Parents may wonder what factors will be used to determine their ordered child support, but there’s good news: child support is one of the more straightforward areas of family law. Specific factors are considered and carefully measured to determine the appropriate amount of monthly financial support. The Oregon courts will take several factors into consideration:
- Income of each parent (and if applicable, the income of the child)
- Overnight parenting time
- Child care expenses
- Cost of providing health insurance
- The number of joint children, and any non-joint children
- Health of the children including any ongoing health concerns, including orthodonture
- School and extracurricular expenses
- Unreimbursed medical expenses
- Spousal support
- Incarceration of a parent
- Whether any extraordinary or unusual circumstances exist
While the method is simple, the outcome can be complex. It’s important to understand how the factors apply in certain situations, and how other decisions in your child support case can impact the amount of child support you either pay or receive.
What is a child support modification?
Child support isn’t necessarily a fixed number over time. As the above factors change, the child support can change as well–but not automatically. The parent who was ordered to pay support can ask for a child support modification, especially if any of these factors have changed recently:
- Either parents have changed jobs which includes a significant change to income
- Daycare or medical costs have changed
- Either parent has had another child since the original child support order was created
What if I’m not getting my court ordered child support?
Parents who are not receiving court-ordered child support should seek enforcement from the Oregon child support division. If an adjustment of is needed due to a change in circumstances, you may be able to get a modification through the state agency without the assistance of an attorney. However, it is always helpful to consult with an attorney to make sure all factors are being properly evaluated.
Just as child support is for the benefit of the children, so is parenting time. Parties cannot use the non-payment of support as a reason to withhold parenting time from the other parent.
Child support can continue beyond your child’s youth.
In Oregon, child support may be owed after a child reaches the age of 18 if he or she is a “child attending school.” This type of support may be paid directly to the child rather than to the parent.
We are experienced child support lawyers.
At Trillium Law, PC in Beaverton, Oregon, we represent clients throughout the entire Portland metro area and beyond. We have extensive knowledge of the child support guidelines, including those for obtaining temporary support while your case goes through the circuit court process.
Our attorneys will explain your options, and what factors influence them, to help you make informed decisions about support and custody. If you are unmarried parents or spouses who are not getting a divorce, we also can assist with the administrative process to obtain child support.
If necessary, we can also help you through the process of establishing paternity, filiation, and determining your rights with regards to support and even parenting time.
