Helping You Achieve Child Support Results
Under Virginia law, a child has a right to financial support from both parents, whether they are married, unmarried or divorced. At Michael A. Ward, P.C., Attorney at Law, I help both parents going through divorce and unmarried parents seek fair outcomes in child support cases.
Contact me to get the counsel of a divorce lawyer with more than 30 years of experience. I represent clients in Northern Virginia from my Fairfax office and in the Lynchburg area from my Forest office.
Seeking a Fair, Accurate Determination
In Virginia, there is a formula for calculating how much child support the noncustodial parent owes. This formula is based on each parent's income, with adjustments for day care and health care expenses associated with the child.
The outcome of the formula is presumed to be the correct amount unless there is a specific reason to deviate from it. I can, if necessary, explore with you the factors that would enter into seeking a deviation from the formula.
The other major issue in child support cases is determining the base income amounts. In some cases, it will be hard to determine the actual income of a parent who owns a business or works several jobs. In other cases, a parent will temporarily earn less than he or she is capable of earning in an effort to pay less child support.
I have the experience to help you achieve a fair child support result, which may involve conducting investigations or hiring expert witnesses such as vocational employment experts. Contact me to explore your options in your child support case.
Exploring Openings for ModificationOnce a Virginia family court makes a child support decree, that decree is enforceable and payments must be made until the child turns 19 or graduates high school. However, until the child's 18th birthday, one or both parents can seek modification of the child support amount. The legal standard for modification is whether there has been a change in the circumstances that were relevant to the original decision. These circumstances can include the parents' incomes and the child's financial needs. |
