What Dads Should Know About Child Support
Child support is a vast topic that can be difficult to understand. Both mother and father are responsible for their children’s well-being. In this article, you will learn all about how the child support system works, as well as what a father should know about his child support duties under the law.
How long will a person pay for child support?
According to the law, a person who pays for child support should make payments until any of the below conditions apply:
- The child is no longer a minor
- The child has become an active-duty military member
- Termination of parental rights via adoption or any other legal process
- Your child is a minor and declared as “liberated” by a court. This happens if the court finds the child capable of supporting him or herself.
A qualified Fort Collins child support lawyer can help you understand your child support obligations throughout the process in Colorado.
Significance of Custody Decision
Both parents have a responsibility to support children through financial means. In the occurrence of a divorce, one of the parents (either mother or father) may get physical custody of their children and become the custodial parent.
The role of the other, non-custodial parent is to make payments to help support the child. There is another scenario, in which both the parents are responsible to take custody of the child. This is referred to as joint custody. The extent of child support that a parent may pay gets calculated by the court. The judge will decide the individual contribution of each parent towards assisting the child.
How Child Support Is Determined When You Are Not Married?
The duty to assist a child isn’t conditioned by marriage. According to court instructions, if you have given birth or adopted the child, you are responsible for financial support.
State laws can have some differences in this regard. If the child’s mother is receiving financial assistance from the government, or public sources, then the child’s father would not be asked to support the child.
What is the responsibility of the stepfather in meeting the financial liability of the child?
A stepfather isn’t financially responsible for providing support to the child. If he legally adopts the child and ends the parental rights of the biological father, then in that scenario the stepfather is responsible to provide financially for the child.
Circumstances for Modification in Child Support
Child support payments can get reduced even if the father quits his full-time job, and becomes unemployed, or takes a low-paying job. A reconsideration of the child assistance amount can be requested after any major life change.
A permanent modification in child support can happen if the change in income occurs. This can be due to remarriage, or a job change happens that impacts the ability of the parent to pay, or if new child needs have been determined that are different from what was decided at the start.
Conclusion This information is just a part of how child support system functions. It is important that you talk with an experienced family law attorney to gain more knowledge in this regard.
