How to Prepare for a Child Support Court Appearance

 

Posted on October 11, 2018

Whether you need to decrease your child support payments because of a job loss or are requesting the other parent pay more child support, you may be wondering about the process. The request for a child support modification could be a result of many different circumstances including income loss, change of employment, increase in child care or health care costs, or the disability of either party.

Before your hearing, create a detailed summary of your expenses to present to the judge. Include information from your paystubs, tax returns, child care costs, child’s health care expenses, bank interest income, cash payments, and any other documents showing deductions.

If you or the other parent are seeking a modification because of changes in your employment, you will need to be prepared to answer all questions concerning the change in employment and be prepared to discuss what you are doing to supplement any loss of income such as applying for social security, reemployment assistance benefits, disability, etc.

After reviewing your paperwork and hearing your statements, the Court may question your expenses, especially if they feel you are putting your own needs in front of your child’s. If the Court suspects you are manipulating the system to avoid paying child support, the judge can impute your income, requiring you to pay what they believe you could earn at a job based on your educational background and work history. So, make sure you can account for your spending and can show proof of your expenses to back up everything you claim.

Let Our Orlando Child Support Attorney Help

Preparing for a potential modification of child support in Court can be intimidating. Protect your rights by calling the experienced attorneys at The Roberts Family Law Firm, P.A. We’ll assist you in obtaining everything you need for your trial.  Call us today at 407-426-6999.