Gardner Child Support Lawyers
If you are facing a divorce, your primary concern is naturally your children. An important component of your children’s well-being after your divorce is child support. Every parent has the right and the responsibility to take care of his or her children emotionally, physically, and financially. In Kansas, parents are generally obligated to continue financially supporting their children through their eighteenth birthdays (with some exceptions). Whether you receive or pay child support, if you have child support concerns, an experienced Gardner child support lawyer can help.
Kansas Child Support
Child support in Kansas is based on a calculation procedure that involves several distinct factors, including:
- The children’s ages and needs (such as educational and daycare needs)
- Each parent’s standard of living relative to his or her financial means, ability to earn, and personal responsibility to support others
- The value of the services each parent contributes to the children
Generally, the parent with primary residential custody receives child support from the parent with a visitation schedule.
Visitation and Child Support
Many parents confuse child custody and child support issues. For instance, a parent who isn’t receiving the child support he or she is owed may think that it is – therefore – within his or her rights to withhold visitation. Conversely, a parent who isn’t allowed the visitation awarded to him or her by the court may withhold child support in retaliation. The fact is, however, that child support and visitation issues are always kept separate from one another. One can never be used as a bargaining chip against the other. If your ex isn’t paying child support or isn’t allowing you visitation, it’s an issue you need to take up with an experienced Gardner family law attorney.
Substantial Change in Circumstances
If a substantial change occurs in your life that affects your child support needs or that affects your ability to pay child support, you can request a child support review. A review can be based on a variety of changes, including:
- If there is a change in the financial circumstances of either parent (or in the child support guidelines) that would increase or decrease child support by at least 10 percent
- If one or more children age into a higher age bracket as a result of turning either 6 or 12
- If one or more children age out of child support
- If 3 or more years have passed since your last child support review
If You Have an Issue Related to Child Support, Consult with an Experienced Gardner Family Law Attorney Today
As parents, our children naturally come first, and if you are experiencing an issue related to child support, it can be exceedingly difficult. The experienced family law attorneys at Stockton & Stern, LLC in Gardner, Kansas, are here to help. Our dedicated legal team has the knowledge, commitment, and compassion to skillfully advocate for what’s best for you and your children. If you have child support concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information today.