Child support orders are an important function of the family law court. These payments are meant to help ensure that children are in a good situation after their parents get divorced. The amount of due each month is supposed to be a fair representation of what each payment can contribute to the child’s life. Perhaps for years, you have been able to pay your court-ordered child support in full. However, life can sometimes throw us unexpected curveballs, with challenges we could never have foreseen. All of the sudden our monthly income takes a drastic fall due to unemployment, illness or even an injury. You might be asking yourself, “What can be done if I can’t afford child support?” This is a difficult situation that many find themselves in, as such, we wanted to discuss this very topic in detail.
Remember that hard times don’t excuse your legal obligations.
Until things can get sorted out legally it is important to pay as much as you can. Judges and courts are more likely to view your case favorably if they are able to see that you still make good faith payments, rather than nothing at all.
Speak to your attorney right away
All too often the obligated party had their life circumstances change well before they brought it up to their attorney. Remember that nothing will change in your favor until your attorney drafts an Order to Modify Child Support or similar document on your behalf. We are not saying you should necessarily file if you got laid off unexpectedly, but will be able to get a new job within a few weeks. However, you might be in a place where it is a necessity if you are now on permanent disability or have been unemployed for an extended amount of time.
Keep everyone up to date and informed
It is important that you are able to document your situation. This means keep a detailed record of your costs and medical bills should that be part of the reason why you are having troubles paying your child support. The more you are able to show your situation has changed the more likely it will be that judges are sympathetic to your issues. Even though you may be going through a difficult situation, ignoring the problem won’t’ fix anything. Don’t let your payments get in arrears without speaking to a local child custody attorney. If you are having problems paying your child support and would like to receive a case review contact our office today.
