Whether you will be paying child support or receiving it, child support is often the subject of much worry. Will I receive enough support to take care of my children? Will I have enough money to live on after I pay my child support? How will I make ends meet? At Conrad Trosch and Kemmy, our experienced family law attorneys can educate you on your rights and obligations, guide you through the legal process, and provide you with peace-of-mind when facing these difficult questions.
Initially, the court may provide temporary support—where money is paid from one spouse to the other for the support of a child until a permanent child support order is entered by the court, or until your case is dismissed. If you and your spouse are unable to agree upon the amount of temporary support to be paid each month, an attorney may ask the judge to decide how much the support should be and when it will start. If you need this type of temporary support, time is of the essence and it should be one of the first issues you discuss with your attorney.
The length and amount of child support you receive or have to pay depends upon a number of factors. These may include: how much time your child is living in your household, how many children you have, which parent has custody, the relative incomes of the parents, each parent’s ability to pay support, whether either parent has a duty to support other children outside this relationship and on occasion the actual needs and expenses of the child. If you have primary physical custody of your child, it is likely your spouse will be ordered to pay support for any children born or adopted by you and your spouse during your marriage. Even in most joint physical custody arrangements, you will likely receive child support if your spouse’s income is significantly more than yours.
The North Carolina Child Support Guidelines, and North Carolina Child Support Enforcement, all help to simplify the child support system. The mechanisms for both payment and receipt of child support are more clearly defined, and help is available for collecting support if it is not paid. With the help of attorneys from Conrad Trosch and Kemmy, you will learn more about North Carolina law, making child support issues which appeared complex in the beginning routine for you and the other parent.