Child support is a payment made by a parent in order to provide for the needs of the parent’s children. Generally, if joint custody is not established, child support is paid by the non-custodial parent. Whether you are going through a separation or a divorce or you are trying to get adjustments to your divorce agreement, as the custodial parent, you can obtain help to establish or modify child support with the help of child support lawyers in Spotsylvania VA. Following are four things you need to know about child support in Virginia.
The best time to apply for child support is immediately after a separation or during divorce proceedings. To ensure that your rights to receive child support are protected, it is important to have your agreement in writing and signed by a court official. Consider talking to one of the child support lawyers in Spotsylvania VA to help you negotiate child support with your child’s other parent. A lawyer may be able to help you get a higher child support payment, and will help you establish an official agreement that binds the non-custodial parent by law to pay child support.
In Virginia, there are state laws that protect the custodial parent’s right to receive child support. If a parent fails to pay child support according to an established court order, the Virginia Department of Social Services can take away the parent’s driver’s license until he or she pays, withhold the parent’s income tax returns, or place a lien on certain property the parent owns. Failure to pay child support in Virginia may even lead to the arrest of the non-paying parent, if the case is severe enough. If you are not receiving child support in accordance with your court order, one of the child support lawyers in Spotsylvania VA may be able to help you.
As a parent receiving child support payments, you can request an adjustment in the child support you receive. According to Virginia law, there are reasons a parent who is receiving child support can appeal for a review of the current child support amount. For example, at any time, if the income of the parent paying child support increases by twenty five percent or more the parent receiving child support can apply for an increase in child support. To find out more about how to increase the amount of child support you receive, you may want to speak to one of the child support lawyers in Spotsylvania VA. A child support lawyer can guide you through the process of adjusting your child support payment and helping you get the financial help you need to provide for your children.
