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The basics of child support

On Behalf of | May 31, 2016 | Child Support

Child support payments are made from one parent to the other to provide care for their mutual children. Child support was once the primary way that the non-custodial parent provided care to their children. However, with the rise of collaborative divorces and shared parenting time, there has been some alteration in the approach taken toward awarding child support. Nonetheless, support payments are still an important aspect of caring for a child’s needs. In some circumstances, these payments can prove very expensive. This post will go over the basics of child support to help you get a clearer picture of what to expect.

The first thing to note is that child support may be ordered whenever there is a mutual child between two parents. For married couples, it is set up when the couple are divorced. For unmarried parents, child support is ordered when only one parent has custody. Generally, the court will “order” the parent with less or no custody over the child to pay child support to the other parent.

Child support is owed to the child, to provide for his or her support and growth. It is not owed to the other parent. Therefore, the government can occasionally take a very active role in ensuring that child support payments are on time and regular. Failure to make child support payments can have serious consequences from wage garnishment to jail time.

If you are thinking about filing for divorce then you may want to speak to an attorney. Texas offers multiple avenues on the divorce process from litigation to mediation and collaboration. There are many ways that you can get a divorce now, not all of them have to be litigious. An attorney can go over these options with you to help you determine which one is best for you and your family.

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