What Is Child Support And How Does It Work?

By:Gray Rollins

Child support is where the non custodial parent pays the custodial parent a certain amount of money each month for the care of the child they share. Child support is generally based on a percentage of income per each child and is intended to help offset the financial burden of the custodial parent. The non custodial parent usually pays a third party the allotted sum which is then forwarded to the custodial parent.

Child support can be paid by any parent of a child. There is no restriction on having to be married in order to pay it. It also is not bound by gender roles. Whoever does not have custody of the child pays the support. This does not have to be the father in all situations. Very often, especially these days, the father has custody of the child and the mother pays the support.

Child support laws vary from state to state. Often visitation privileges are tied to child support. A non custodial parent who is not on time on payments may forfeit their visitation rights. There may also be restrictions placed on the custodial parent as to how the money is used. Although indirect expenses such as housing are usually valid, the courts may look at other spending habits to ensure the child support is going toward the welfare of the child.

Parents who regularly do not pay child support are known as deadbeat parents. Some parents do not pay because they feel the amount of money ordered was too much and not justified. Other parents may not be able to afford the payments with their existing financial obligations. Some parents may be angry at the other parent and choose to withhold child support as a way to get even with the other parent. Regardless of the reason, not paying child support hurts the child and may also have legal implications for the parent who is not living up to their obligations.

Some states have laws that will revoke the driver’s license of parents who are severely behind on payments. Other states can issue court orders to have wages automatically deducted from paychecks. Any federal or state earnings such as tax refunds or lottery winnings can be held and applied to child support payments that are in arrears.

If you are a parent who is having trouble with the child support system, it is advisable to seek assistance from an attorney who specializes in family law. Whether you are a parent who needs a reduction in child support payments or a custodial parent who needs collection assistance, an attorney can help. They are familiar with the individual laws of the state in which you reside and can advise you on the best route to take.

Child support is an important function in society to help care for a child. It is difficult for a single parent to have sole financial responsibility for the care of a child, especially if the other parent has the means and ability to help. Ensure that your rights and the rights of your child are properly cared for by pursuing child support; using the money to benefit the child; or paying child support if you are the non custodial parent.

Digg del.icio.us Blink Stumble Spurl Reddit Netscape Furl

Article keywords: child support

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Gray Rollins is a featured writer for JustChildSupport. To learn more about how child support works and to learn about hiring a child support lawyer, visit us.

Top Legal Articles
1). how to defer jury duty By : Phil Wiley Let’s face it. Jury duty can be a drag, but most of all it’s not always convenient when we’re called up to service. So how can you defer jury duty?
2). A Power of Attorney is Your Legal Representative By : James Hunt What is a power of attorney? Most people have heard this phrase used before...
3). The New Bankruptcy “Means Test” Explained in Plain English By : Charles J. Phelan With the new bankruptcy law in effect as of October 17, 2005, there is a lot of confusion regarding the new "means test" requirement. The means test will be used by the courts to determine eligibility for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The purpose of this article is to explain in plain language how the means test works, so that consumers can get a better idea of how they will be affected under the new rules.
4). Estate Planning - No Contest Clause in your Will By : Ronald Hudkins Copyright 2006 Ronald Hudkins There is value in the story of an older client who had seen a very interesting clause employed in a will. There was a great deal of money at stake and the many family members had little reason to love each other, because they had never met and never knew of each other’s existence. It was expected that the will would be heavily contested on several different fronts in every conceivable way.
5). Top 5 To Dos Before Saying “I do” By : by Jennifer Coleman, M.S./ Ed.S., N.C.C., Ros Today, nearly half of all marriages don't last. Everyday I work with couples going through a divorce, many times over preventable conflicts. I’ve lear
6). How to File a claim for Celebrex injury By : Jefferson Highway, General Counsel There is mounting evidence to suggest that Celebrex (aka celecoxib) is linked to an increased risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes. Celebrex
7). Rentacomputer.com (LSS) Legal Support Services By : John Beagle Renting technology for the Legal ProfessionRentacomputer.com will set-up workspaces in courtrooms, offices and "war rooms" for attorneys and
8). Media Stunts For An Injury Claim By : Mohammad Latif The claims culture arrived in the UK and it was chaos. Door canvassers and telesales, knocking and ringing constantly for an injury claim.
9). golf mental tip - get out of your own way! By : rob moore Get out of your own way Developing a strong mental golf game involves identifying the chief problems that usually stump us, and then lea
10). DUI Law Punishments By : Information Association, LLC It’s no surprise that current DUI Law mandates that DUI punishments cause problems in your personal life in the short term. With punishments such as t

New Legal Articles
1). Personal Injury Compensation Claims By : Julian Hall Not all accidents lead to legal proceedings, however if there are no serious injuries, you may be entitled to recover damages for property and other expenses from the third party. The likelihood of legal proceedings will usually rest on the quantum, or the amount of financial damage which has ensued from the accident.
2). Are You the Lucky Owner of a Lemon? By : Karen Kirby Do you want to put the lemon laws of your state to work for you, but you are a little hesitant that you will succeed? Well, then read on ...
3). California Contractor License Bond By : Seth Miller Before a contractor can receive a contractor’s license in California, the contractor must register with the California Contractors State License Board and pay a Contractor's License Bond or a cash credit. In the event of a contractor's license getting suspended or annulled due to a breach of the Contractors License Law, the contractor must file a disciplinary bond with the CSLB.
4). Montana Child Support the Treasure State By : Holcy Montana Child Support How do you know if you qualify for child support? Child support is available to all single parents in need of financial assistance from the non-custodial parent. In order to receive child support services, you must first fill out an application with the state of Montana. When apply for child support, there will be a non-refundable application fee.
5). Criminal background check By : Stanley Alpin Background checks are a useful screening and selection tool for companies. Of the many types of background checks, criminal background checks are routinely carried out by employers to ensure that they are not courting a risk of physical and mental trauma. In fact, in several states in the U.S, criminal background checks are compulsory for prospects who apply for positions in places such as nursing homes, educational institutions, and adult care centers.
6). Employment background check By : Stanley Alpin Employment background checks are becoming increasingly common these days. The reasons for this include the fact that negligent hiring lawsuits that result from the actions of an errant employee can damage a company’s credibility and lead to hefty fines; companies have become more selective in their choice of employees following the threat of terrorist activities; accepting a resume at face value has resulted in many companies wasting time and money due to frequent hire-and-fire situations.
7). How an employee background check works By : Stanley Alpin Over the past few years pre-employment background checks have gained significance for employers big and small. Companies can either execute the required activities in-house or can outsource them to human resource companies that specialize in carrying out background checks. There is a lot of paper-work, co-coordination, and follow-up that goes into conducting a background check and for this reasons companies prefer to get the job done by an outside agency.
8). Is an instant background check even possible? By : Stanley Alpin Given that there are more than 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States and that information on U.S citizens is scattered across various databases all over 3,142 counties, it is safe to conclude that an instant background check is not possible at present. Yet, there are innumerable companies that purportedly offer instant background checks.
9). What shows up on a criminal record background check? By : Stanley Alpin A criminal record background check can throw up a lot of information on an individual including previous arrests as well as conviction and non-conviction information. The information is obtained from Federal Fugitive files, files from the Department of Corrections prison, state criminal records, databases on sex offenders, and prison parole records.
10). Offshore Trust - Effective Estate Planning, You Decide By : Ronald Hudkins Copyright 2006 Ronald Hudkins The creation of offshore trusts and other financial plans is a way of shielding your assets from the laws of the nation in which you reside. It can sometimes be used to remove one of the two certainties of life; taxes. Americans are far less likely than the citizens of other countries to put assets abroad because, although when you receive the benefits of being free of your country’s laws regarding assets (namely taxation) you also lose the aspect of those laws that are designed to protect your assets.