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What Is Child Support?
Child Support is designed to ensure both parents are providing financial compensation to support raising their shared children. These funds should cover education, maintenance, health, and other reasonable expenses.
There are multiple ways individuals can obtain child support in North Carolina. These options include:
- Signing a voluntary support agreement which will become a court order once signed by the judge
- Determining child support as part of a separation agreement
- Filing a petition for child support through the Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSE)
Unless you utilize one of these options to obtain an enforceable child support order, your child’s other parent will not be required to pay child support. You should also note that child support and custody are separate legal matters. This means a parent who does not have visitation or custody rights may still be required to pay child support via a court order. An Angier, NC family lawyer can help you navigate the process.
What Does the Court Consider When Enforcing Child Support in NC?
According to the North Carolina child support guidelines, there are specific factors the court system will consider when enforcing a child support order, including:
- Both parents’ incomes
- Both parents’ expenses
- The cost of health insurance and healthcare
- Both parents’ financial resources, including inheritances, investments, unemployment, pensions, and bonuses
- Whether either parent has other children
- The physical and mental capabilities of both parents
- The children’s expenses, including the cost of extracurricular activities and sporting events
These factors could be considered when determining whether child support should be ordered and how much. There may be additional factors taken into account as part of your child support petition.can make the right choices regarding which arrangements will be the best fit for your needs.
Related Child Support Topics
Does North Carolina Law Require You to Pay Child Support?
Yes. North Carolina law requires all parents to financially support their children, whether they have child custody or visitation rights. Unless a parent’s rights have been terminated by court order, parents are legally required to provide financial support for their children’s needs.
Anyone who is not a child’s parent is not required to support them financially. However, if a minor under 18 has children, their parents may be required to pay child support on their behalf until the minor parent turns 18.
How Much Could Someone Expect to Pay in Child Support?
The amount you could expect to pay in child support varies depending on your income, expenses, and other costs. Generally, both custodial and non-custodial parents must contribute to their children’s maintenance and costs.
The North Carolina Family Court uses a specific child support formula to determine how much child support payments should be. This considers more than just the parent’s income and expenses, but the cost of childcare, medical fees, education costs, and more.
The state uses an income share model to determine how much it costs on average to raise children. Then, additional expenses can be introduced as part of the child support order. Non-custodial parents will be ordered to pay a percentage of the expected cost of raising their children based on both parent’s combined income.
Learn More About Child Support
Child support can be complex, but our Angier child support lawyers can help you understand how support works and we can guide you through the process.
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Can You Modify Your Child Support Payments?
It is not unusual for families to deal with extraordinary circumstances that require modifications to child support agreements. North Carolina law allows for child support modifications that can be issued temporarily or permanently. Examples of valid reasons for child support modifications include:
- Changes in the cost of living
- Changes in employment
- Changes in education
- Changes in physical or mental health
- More than 3 years has passed since the current order was entered.
- The total support owed used the state guidelines would go up or down more than 15%
For the North Carolina family courts to grant child support modification requests, the petitioner must show that there have been significant changes in their financial status.
Custodial parents who discover non-custodial parents have received bonuses, salary increases, or got a higher paying job may have the opportunity to file a modification to the child support order seeking additional child support compensation.
Get Help From a Child Support Lawyer in Angier, NC
Child support claims can be particularly contentious. When you need help modifying an existing child support order or implementing a new one so you can get the financial support you need to raise your children, do not hesitate to contact a reputable Angier child support lawyer at Breeden Law Office to discuss your options further.
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Breeden Law offered exceptional service. I felt extremely comfortable talking with Jonathan and the office staff was pleasant and organized.
Mr. Breeden was very professional. He gave me honest input regarding possible outcomes of my case. He was very responsive when I had a question and when responding to emails. He knows custody law very well and got me exactly what I wanted with regards to my case. I would definitely use him again if needed.
A custody battle is never easy; even harder when you are a grandparent seeking custody. Jonathan Breeden handled our case with great diligence, but oh so delicately. I received full, permanent custody, with no harsh feelings from any parties concerned. Together with Jonathan, there was even suitable visitation arrangements made.