Corona Child Support Lawyer
Child support is one of the most highly-contested items of a divorce proceeding. The courts of California has a belief that every child has the right to be financially supported by both parents if at all possible. An experienced Corona child support attorney can assist you in making logic out of the confusion that typically follows with child support guidelines, income withholding orders, financial affidavits and more.
What is Child Support?
Within the United States as of 2016, there are approximately 13.4 single parents in a custody capacity, and approximately 48.7% of them have some sort of child support agreement in place.
Raising a child is quite costly, and parents are legally required to support their children until they reach the age of 18, the designated time of maturity.
In a divorce case that involves children, the parent that is granted custody of a child is typically awarded financial support as well from the non custodial parent. The amount of this support is determined by the state of California, and is typically due twice a month, typically the beginning and middle of each month.
In order to be granted child support, you must fill out the proper paperwork to put it into motion. You can find the required paperwork on the California Court website.
Get an Experienced Corona Child Support Attorney on Your Side
The experienced Irvine child support lawyer team at Wilkinson & Finkbeiner, LLP can help you with your child support case. They can help explain the process, answer and questions that you might have, help secure the compensation that you deserve, and also assist in expediting the entire process for you.
How is the amount of child support determined?
You can seek council from your Corona Child Support Attorney at Wilkinson & Finkbeiner, LLP about how to determine the ideal amount of child support. There are child support calculators offered by the state of California to determine the correct amount. Here is one of these child support calculators.
These use some of the following factors, as indicated by CA’s Family Code Section 4055 to determine an amount for child support:
- Gross Income totals from each parent
- Child costs incurred by either parent (food, clothes, tuition, etc.)
- Percentage of Custody of child
- Income Tax deductions
For more information, see our page about Determining Child Support in Corona.
When does child support go into Effect?
The court can set the start date of the child support effective of the date of the initial filing of the case, which is expressed in Family Code 4009. So the first payment of the child support might fall on the 1st of the very next calendar month. And this child support ruling can be changed by the court anytime there is a significant change in circumstance, like a major change in employment or income, or even the circumstance of death.
What are the penalties for not paying child support?
If a required party fails to provide the child support payments to the custodial parent in a timely manner, they can find themselves in “contempt” of court, meaning you have willfully disobeyed a court order. The penalties of contempt of court could be:
- Jail time
- Fines
- Community Service
- Forced payments of child support attorney fees
- Order to sell property or assets to get the required financial amounts
- The Seizure of employee wages
There could also be some negative repercussions from the CA DMV. If a parent is guilty of being 30+ days delinquent on child support, the Department of Motor Vehicles may refuse to issue or renew his or her driver’s license. If the delinquent time exceeds 120 days, the state might completely revoke the person’s license.
Not paying child support can also negative affect your credit ratings. The DCSS maintains a list of delinquent parents and offers them to credit reporting agencies. These reports have been proven to worsen the credit reports of the individual in question.
Your Child’s Well-being Is Our #1 Concern
Divorce and custody proceedings can be extremely frightening and confusing for children. Our team at Wilkinson & Finkbeiner, LLP can help guide you with the communication process with your child. They will keep the child’s needs and best interests top-of mind when working to achieve a just amount for child support. Additionally, in mediation, they will keep your child the #1 priority during the entire process to keep things moving smoothly and as painless for the child as possible.
Get a Free Consultation About Your Corona Child Support Case!
Each divorce and child support case is different, and we would like to speak with you about your case to determine the best way to proceed. Our initial consultation is free of charge. To speak with a dedicated family law attorney, contact our office in Corona, CA today! 951-444-5530