How An Attorney Can Help When You Are Facing Paying Child Support
If you have received formal notice that you are to appear in a court or child support services office for the determination of a child support amount, you will want to get in contact with an attorney. Understanding how an attorney can help you with your case will ensure that you are less likely to go to your hearing or meeting alone.
Ensures That All Income Is Properly Presented
In many states, both the custodial an non-custodial parent has to provide proof of their income. This usually requires each person to bring in their recent pay stubs and the income tax return for the previous year. If you are currently receiving overtime pay that you normally do not receive, you want to make sure that that is understood. This way, the judge or enforcement officer will not include that as a part of your typical wages when determining how much your monthly child support obligation should be. It will also be the job of your attorney to make sure to bring up any discrepancies that might be seen in the income of the other parent, should they have forgotten to bring information about their side business or another job they have been working.
Helps To Negotiate The Terms Of Other Financial Responsibilities
On top of the monthly child support obligation, some people will seek reimbursement for medical costs not covered by insurance, school clothing and supplies, and extracurricular activities. To help make sure that you are not paying more than your fair share, especially after taking into consideration how much child support will be taken from your checks, you will want an attorney to represent you in this matter. Your attorney may also be able to make it part of the agreement that things such as signing up for extracurricular activities is something that needs to be done after both parents discuss it and agree upon it. If the other parent signs the child up for a lot of expensive activities that you were not consulted about, you may not be required to pay for them.
As you can see, it is vital that you are obtaining an attorney for your child support case. Make sure that you are starting to look for one as soon as you realize that you have an upcoming case. This way, you will have as much time as possible to find the best attorney for your situation. Attorneys like Lisa Cappolella Attorney at Law can help you.
