Child support arrangements are important, as they can ensure that children living with a single biological parent have the financial means to live happy and healthy lives.
However, child support arrangements are often hotly contested when they’re being created and after they’ve been established. For example, it’s common for custodial parents to believe they need more money to support their children, and equally common for noncustodial parents to believe the amount of money they’re required to pay is excessive based on their income and expenses.
At Inman & Stadler, we strongly support child support payments that are fair to all parties. If you’re dealing with a child support arrangement you feel is unfair to you or your child, here’s how we can help.
We Can Help Ensure the Initial Child Support Arrangement is Fair
It’s not always easy to get both parents to agree on an initial child support arrangement, but doing so can help parents avoid big headaches down the road.
Our legal team works hard to create child support arrangements that are fair to parents and especially to the children who need the money for their growth and development. We propose fair arrangements that are based on many factors, including the noncustodial parent’s income, their child’s specific needs, the number of children involved, and more.
We Can Revise the Amount of Money Owed
If a child support arrangement was already created, there’s a good chance you or your child’s other parent may take issue with it over time as life changes.
There are many reasons why a child support arrangement may be viewed as unfair after it has been established, including increases or reductions in income, changes in a child’s needs, the birth of a child, and more. Just as we do when helping propose initial child support arrangements, we consider many factors when determining how much parents should pay after changes in life circumstances.
We Can Ask for Back Child Support Payments
It’s common for noncustodial parents to get behind on child support payments. In many cases, the noncustodial parents who fall behind want to catch up, but they may not know how to do so based on their income and personal expenses.
In other cases, custodial parents may start to struggle with their own expenses due to missing or smaller-than-expected payments. Our lawyers can create plans to ensure children and custodial parents get paid fairly and in full via back child support payments.
We Can Ensure Income Isn’t Hidden or Minimized
One of the most common ways noncustodial parents attempt to avoid paying full child support is by hiding their income. They may do this by claiming nonexistent business expenses, receiving payments “under the table,” or by making large purchases for personal use (such as vehicles, vacations, or even properties) and claiming they are for business use.
Our lawyers can do deep dives into personal and business finances to determine if income is being minimized or hidden and then ensuring that custodial parents and their children get the full child support payments they’re owed.
We Can Pursue Child Support Payments Even When Under/Unemployment is a Factor
Some noncustodial parents will intentionally sabotage their careers in order to pay less child support. They may become underemployed and earn incomes far below what they might be expected to earn based on their age, experience, education, and previous job titles. Others may simply stop working altogether in order to avoid child support payments.
Thankfully, this common strategy usually doesn’t hold up in court, especially when custodial parents have experienced lawyers on their sides. We have the experience and legal knowledge to help our clients get the child support they’re owed when noncustodial parents refuse to earn appropriate and previously established incomes.
We Can File a Petition for Contempt for Nonpayment
Child support arrangements are court-ordered. When people don’t comply with them and refuse to pay in full or at all, they may be in contempt of court.
We help custodial parents get the payments they’re owed by using the legal system to their advantage by filing a petition for contempt. People who remain in contempt of court due to nonpayment of child support, especially after a petition for contempt has been filed, can face criminal charges and even jail time.
Contact Us with Your Tennessee Child Support Questions and Concerns
When it comes to child support arrangements, Tennessee family courts work based on what’s right for the children who need the payments. We uphold that goal while also ensuring that payments are fair to both custodial and noncustodial parents, too.
If you need assistance with your child support arrangement, whether you’re a custodial or noncustodial parent, we’re here to help. Contact us today for a consultation and to learn how we can help with your child support arrangement.
