Life happens, and because of this, a child support order is not permanent. Sometimes a parent may find themselves in a new job where they are earning more or they may receive a significant raise at work. On the other hand, sometimes circumstances go the other way, and a parent may find they’ve lost their job. Whatever your circumstances are, if you have a child support order in place there is definitely a chance that at some point it will need to be modified.
To modify a child support order, there has to be at least a 10% difference in the existing child support order and there is no mechanism in place that automatically changes a child support order when a change in circumstance occurs. If a change needs to be reviewed, you need to file a motion to modify child support with the court.
The short answer? You may have to pay more if you receive a raise at work. However, this is not necessarily a given. The difference between the existing child support order and the potential new one has to be greater than 10%. The court also needs to receive a motion to modify child support before the order will change.
Some other situations where child support may be modified:
- A change in child custody and visitation
- Reduced child care costs as a child gets older
- Emancipation of a child
If you believe you need help with a modification of child support, contact the attorneys at Divorce Matters. 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.
