Understandably, child support is a much inquired about topic at Divorce Matters. How and why child support is determined is often a mystery, leaving parents with questions about how much they’ll have to pay, how it will be determined, who will pay who, and if child support will change throughout the years. With all these factors at play, it makes sense to wonder if your child support may change as your kids get older.
The answer to this question is a little more complicated than it might seem. Technically, child support does not automatically increase or decrease due to children getting older. However, child support orders are not permanent and can change over time. As kids get older there may be more or less cost associated with raising them, which can affect child support payments. Generally, the court will consider a change in child support if there is a significant and ongoing change. The term “significant” can be pretty vague, but the court generally views this as about a 10% change in the child support payments themselves. This change can be either an increase or a decrease.
If you believe there has been significant and ongoing change in child-rearing costs, it is best to get in contact with one of the expert attorneys at Divorce Matters! They can help you file the Child Support Modification paperwork necessary to get the ball rolling. If you would like to speak to an attorney, give us a call at (720) 386-9176 or fill out our Contact Form!
We also offer a free child support and maintenance calculator app if you need help determining potential changes, our app can be found in both the Google Play and iOS stores, click here to learn more.