Child support refers to the periodic payments that one parent pays to be used as financial support for their child or children. Generally, the parent who has full custody receives child support from the other parent. How much child support is awarded is based on calculations through a formula that is described in a state statute. In cases where both parents share equally in the custody, whoever has the higher income may be ordered to pay child support to the one with lower income.

Why You Should File for Child Support

If you are the custodial parent and have been having financial issues with your ex regarding their financial help to raise the children, filing for child support will guarantee that the financial requirements of your children will be covered. You will also have a written document that will describe how much and how often child support payments should be made and how other issues will be addressed. These can be the cost of health insurance premiums, costs associated with child care and the children’s education, as well as who gets to claim the children on their tax return.

If your own income is not enough to support your child or children on your own, your best option to stay afloat and meet their needs is filing for child support. Also, it’s important to note that you will not be eligible to receive government assistance if you are raising your children on your own and have not filed for child support. A child support lawyer will help you recover child support that has not been paid and understand any questions you may have on child support rules and regulations.

What documents do you need to bring when filing for child support?

The child support office will do a better job of locating the parent, establishing paternity, and enforcing child support payments if you present them with as much information as possible. This can include:

• Personal information about the non-custodial parent, including date of birth and address.
• Their Social Security number.
• Information on their job, their employer, and the work address.
• Any information on their bank account, assets, or property holdings.
• Information on who their friends and relatives are.
• A physical description with a photograph.
• Your divorce decree, separation agreement, or child support order if there is one.
• Records of the child support, if any, that you have received in the past.
• The children’s birth certificates
• If there is an issue verifying paternity, anything that might prove that they are the parent.
• Information on your own income and any assets you might have.
• List of expenses related to the children such as child care, education, medical expenses, or costs related to special needs.

How can the child support office help?

• They can help locate the missing parent.
• When needed, they can help in establishing paternity.
• They can issue support orders regarding financial or medical support
• They can enforce the child support orders and modify them as needed.

You may feel uncomfortable pursuing child support from someone who has not been carrying their share of the load in raising the children. However, in the long run, if your children’s financial needs are covered you will be better able to concentrate on giving them the psychological and emotional care they need.