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Child support is the court-ordered financial maintenance of a child, and it is one of the most important aspects of a family law case involving children. Children in both Kansas and Missouri have a legal right to child support. Joseph, Hollander & Craft’s Kansas City child support lawyers advise parents on all aspects of financial maintenance for children. Let us help you navigate child support worksheets, orders, and modifications to obtain a fair result for you and your family.

We Know Missouri and Kansas Child Support Law

JHC’s Kansas City child support attorneys know Kansas and Missouri child support law inside and out, and we ensure our clients do too. Our Kansas City child support lawyers work closely with our clients so they understand how child support is calculated and how it will impact their children’s financial security. We also help our clients negotiate certain aspects of child support for optimal results.

Generally, parents are obligated to support their children until they turn eighteen years old, though some exceptions may apply. Parents may agree to provide financial security for their children for a longer period of time. The child support attorneys in JHC’s Kansas City office can talk you through what is negotiable and what will work best for your child’s needs.

We Help Resolve Child Support Disputes

When deciding how much child support to order, courts consider a variety of factors. Considerations include each parent’s income, the parenting time allotted to each parent, and expenses related to the child’s care. The calculation must also account for insurance coverage, and it may be affected by cost of living differences (when parents live in separate locations with disparate costs of living) or multiple family issues (when parents have one or more children in common, but also one or more children from other relationships).

Courts use child support worksheets that designate formulas to calculate child support payments. There is room for disagreement and litigation over many of the items that must be considered in the child support calculation. For example, income is often disputed, as past income records may not represent current or expected future earnings.

The experienced child support attorneys at JHC help parents all over the Kansas City metro ensure child support amounts are calculated accurately and reasonably as necessary to support their children. Our Kansas City child support attorneys can work with you to analyze the applicable financial landscape and determine what the child support payments should be under the law. Then, we will advocate on your behalf in negotiations and before the court.

Kansas and Missouri Child Support Modification

Courts can modify child support orders upon a showing of a change of circumstances. Modification of a child support order may be necessary or appropriate under the following circumstances:

• Changes in either parent’s finances
• Responsibility for additional children or dependents following entry of the child support order
• Relocation by a parent or child that will affect parenting time
• Military orders that affect parenting time
• Emancipation of a minor child covered by the child support order
• Significant health issues that impact a parent’s ability to care for or financially support a child
• Incarceration of a parent

Of course, the list of possible reasons can run far beyond these circumstances. Our Kansas City child support lawyers can help you evaluate whether your situation justifies a modification to your parenting plan or child support order. If so, we will help you file a motion to modify the existing orders to work better for your family’s needs.

If you need assistance with a child support matter in the Kansas City metro area, call JHC’s child support lawyers today.

FAQs

Do I need a Kansas City lawyer for child support?

While there is no legal requirement to have a lawyer in child support cases, it is usually in your best interest to hire one. In complicated divorces or when parents disagree on how much child support should be, having an attorney may be imperative. Even if you think you agree with your co-parent about child support, that agreement may be based on a misunderstanding of the law, confusion about the child support worksheet, or any number of other things an experienced child support attorney will be able to advise you on.  JHC’s child support attorneys can help you calculate child support, file motions, and argue your case before the court. Our knowledgeable child support lawyers ensure your children are provided for and no one takes advantage of you.

Do I need a Kansas City attorney for child support modification?

You are not legally required to have a lawyer to modify child support, but it can be extremely helpful to hire one. To modify child support, parties have to demonstrate a substantial or material change in circumstances. JHC’s child support attorneys can help you determine whether a substantial change has occurred. We will also assist you in calculating how much support could be modified, advise you regarding potential problems that may arise during modification proceedings, argue your case to the judge, and handle other matters that may arise during the modification process.

Can filing a motion to increase child support backfire?

It is possible that filing a motion to increase child support may backfire. Depending on the circumstances, a court may determine that child support should stay the same, or it may determine that child support payments should actually be decreased if it finds that a substantial or material change has occurred that would make a reduction in child support more reasonable. JHC’s child support modification lawyers will figure out whether a motion to increase child support would help or harm you before filing. We will advise you regarding the risks and potential benefits of seeking modification and explore what other options you may have.