When you and the other parent of your children no longer have a relationship with each other, you still have a financial and legal responsibility to your kids. Depending on with whom the children live, you or the other parent could be ordered to pay child support until the children reach the age of 18.
When you and the other parent cannot agree about the amount of support to pay, you need to have the family court judge issue an official decree. You can get your case heard and argue for the best outcome by hiring a family lawyer in Frederick to represent you.
Asking for Child Support
If you are the custodial parent, you can go to court and have your lawyer ask the judge to award you child support. The amount that you ask for must follow a specific formula that your state uses. This formula takes into account factors like the income of the other parent, your income, and the number of children that must be supported.
If you are the non-custodial parent, you may need to argue that you cannot afford the amount of support that the court has ordered you to pay. You need your lawyer to show that the amount is beyond your means.
You can find out more about hiring a family lawyer in Frederick. Go to Russell & Heffner LLC for more information.