Greenville Child Support Lawyers

Settling Child Support Disputes Throughout Greenville County

Hayes Law Firm Upstate Attorneys, LLC, is a divorce law firm in Greenville, South Carolina, that may be able to evaluate your situation and estimate the value of child support your children might be entitled to receive. Our child support lawyers in Greenville can review the situation and help you understand whether voluntary impoverishment might play a role in your child support and custody case. Our lawyers can fight to help you get the amount of child support your children need and deserve.

What is Child Support?

Child support is money that is paid by one parent to the other parent each month to cover the costs of raising their child or children. While some assume child support covers only the essentials, like clothing and food, in reality, the non-custodial parent pays child support to cover a wide range of expenses, including medical care, childcare, entertainment, college expenses, educational fees, transportation, travel, and more. 
In the child support agreement, the expenses must be defined so both parties understand the reasoning behind the amount paid and what the money will go towards. The agreement may also provide a way to deal with unexpected expenses, such as emergency surgery.

Are you facing issues with child support? Call Hayes Law Firm Upstate Attorneys, LLC today at (864) 432-5353 or contact us online to schedule a meeting with our Greenville child custody lawyer! 

How is Child Support Determined?

According to the Child Support Enforcement Act, the federal government allows each state to develop its guidelines to calculate child support based on the parents’ incomes and expenses. Generally, guidelines in most states consider the same primary factors when determining who pays how much child support.

The factors taken into consideration include:

• The income and needs of the custodial parent, or the parent who has custody of the child
• The needs of the child, such as education, health insurance, and special needs
• The child’s standard of living before divorce (or separation)
• The paying parent’s ability to pay

In South Carolina, child support is calculated on formulas created by the South Carolina Department of Social Services. The formulas also consider the number of children being supported, the health insurance expenses both parties have for the children, and the work-related daycare expenses both parties have.

Modifications When Circumstances Change

If the supporting parent fails to pay child support on time, the family court can order the parent to pay by withholding the parent’s wages or extracting wages to pay. If you’re at any point unable to fulfill the amount of child support outlined in the agreement, you have an option to file a modification order. The court understands that life consists of changes and can alter the existing order.

Factors the family court considers in making modifications include:

• Changes in the parents’ finances, such as if one parent is laid off from work or becomes disabled and can no longer work
• Changes in the child’s needs, including if the child becomes disabled and requires extensive medical treatment
• Remarriage that terminates alimony

Contact our legal team today if you want to ensure you’re receiving or giving your fair child support. Our child support attorneys in Greenville can fully assess the financial situation of both parties and how much your child or children require to determine how much you should pay or be paid. Additionally, if you need to modify your child support at any time, we can walk you through the steps of filing an order of modification.

Contact Hayes Law Firm Upstate Attorneys, LLC today to schedule a consultation with our child support lawyer in Greenville!