In California, child support is essential

Financial worries are a common concern during divorce, and for California parents, chief among those worries is often how they will continue to support their children. Child support is essential for addressing these concerns and ensuring that children’s financial interests are maintained. Modifications to current support orders are also possible, which are often necessary to reflect current or changing financial situations.

Children have the right to benefit from both of their parents’ incomes. This means if each parent earns roughly the same amount, or the custodial parent earns more, child support payments may still be in order. This is because the amount of support is based off of the payer’s income, and not the recipient’s. Courts may also take into account a parent’s other financial obligations when determining who much support is appropriate.

To make sure that child support payments are enforced, it is important to have a court-ordered support plan. A verbal agreement between two parents will not have the same legal protections or enforceability. Agreements between parents also may not accurately reflect a person’s ability to pay for the financial needs of a child, whereas family law judges have the knowledge and experience to create a reasonable support order.

Child support is essential for the financial well-being of children. However, it is important to obtain a court-ordered support payment, as other agreements will not be as easily enforced or upheld. Since California family law can be understandably complicated, some parents prefer to seek the guidance of an experienced counsel when traversing through the court system.

Source: FindLaw, “Child Support Basics“, Accessed on Jan. 17, 2018