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In general, child support payments may not be made directly to a minor child. Instead, they are paid to the child’s other parent, who is then responsible for ensuring that the child’s basic needs are met. Lump payments are usually made directly to the child’s other parent on a monthly basis. Most of the time, these direct payments are court ordered and are calculated (in part) according to a state’s baseline laws concerning the percentage of income affected parents are required to pay directly to their child’s other parent.
However, this is not the only way that parents provide support for their children. Subject to a child support order, parenting agreement or an informal arrangement with their child’s other parent, a parent may opt to additionally pay for some of his or her child’s other expenses outside of the traditional, direct monthly sum ordered by the courts. For example, parents may pay for tuition, medical bills, insurance premiums, activity fees or other expenses directly. There are a number of reasons why such an arrangement may work for a family, including fear that if a specific expense is not handled directly, it may not be paid for by the child’s other parent in a prompt and responsible way.
Child support is a concept that seems straightforward at first glance, but tends to be complex when practically applied. Say that a state’s laws indicate that a non-custodial parent needs to pay 17 percent of his or her income in child support. What happens when a family shares joint custody of a child and has a roughly 50/50 split in parenting time and relative income? What happens when a child has special needs or a non-custodial parent is disabled and cannot generate earned income? What happens when a parent who either pays or receives child support wins a massive lottery? These are just some of the practical scenarios that make the realities of paying and receiving child support complex when applied to families in the real world.
The Rockville, Maryland family law firm of the Law Office of Daniel J. Wright is committed to helping families understand their rights and responsibilities related to child support. Should you ever have questions or concerns about how the child support system is affecting your family, do not hesitate to schedule a consultation with our family law lawyer Rockville, MD residents trust. Once our team understands the details surrounding your situation, we will be able to advise you of your legal options and provide you with any guidance or support you may need. When preparing for a consultation, you may wish to think about the concept of direct and indirect child support payments and write down any questions you may have so that we can answer those questions when you arrive at our Rockville, Maryland family law firm. The ways in which child support payments are practically provided may affect any child support orders and/or modification requests that could impact your family now or in the future.
Child Support Assistance Is Available
If you have questions about the process of paying for and/or receiving child support, please schedule a consultation with our Rockville, Maryland family law firm today. No two families deal with the exact same circumstances when it comes to child support, so it is generally a good idea to seek legal guidance when you have questions and concerns. It is possible that exceptions to the “general rules” of child support do not apply in your situation, but you may not know that for sure until you speak with an attorney at our firm. Our firm believes in helping families function in healthy, sustainable ways. Please consider scheduling a consultation with our team today so that your family’s child support situation can be clarified and/or resolved in a timely manner.
