Understanding Child Support Obligations In Kentucky

The attorneys at Wilson, Stavros, Rowsey & Thomas, are ready to guide you through all aspects of your family law case, including child support orders and modifications. Since this is an ongoing financial commitment that may continue until your children become adults, it is important to ensure that the final court order is both reasonable and sustainable.

A Basic Overview On Determining Support Amounts

Here in Kentucky, child support is typically calculated based on three factors. They include:

• The total income of both parents
• How many children there are to support
• The specifics of the custody arrangement

If you are the parent with custody less than half the time, you will likely be asked to pay child support unless you make significantly less money than your child’s other parent. Even if custody is split equally, however, the parent with the higher income will be responsible for paying some child support. If parents earned equal paychecks and split custody 50-50, there might be no child support order. But that scenario is, of course, very rare.

What An Experienced Attorney Can Do For You

Child support is calculated based on a formula. While you don’t have control of the formula, you can at least ensure that the data the court works with is an accurate reflection of your financial situation. Your attorney will help you demonstrate and inform the court about any financial information that is out of date or inaccurate, or any information that gives a misleading impression of your real life circumstances.

Petitioning To Modify The Child Support Order

When financial and family circumstances can change, child support orders should be able adjusted accordingly. Here are some examples of events that might warrant a petition:

• You lost your job or experienced a long-term reduction in hours
• Your co-parent got a new job that pays significantly more money
• Your children are now older and involved in many extracurricular activities, all of which come with costs for enrollment, equipment, etc.
• One of your children has developed a medical condition with many out-of-pocket expenses that are not covered by insurance

If you or your co-parent has experienced a significant change in financial circumstances or your children’s needs have changed, our firm can help you petition the court to modify the child support order.

Have Child Support Questions? Contact Us For More Information.

Wilson, Stavros, Rowsey & Thomas, is located in Ashland, Kentucky, and serves clients throughout the surrounding area. For case-specific advice and answers to your family law questions, contact our firm to arrange an initial consultation with an experienced attorney. You can call us at 606-618-0929​ or send us an email.