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Child support laws obligate both parents to provide for the needs and care of their minor children, regardless of the residential arrangements or legal custody. Child support is often a highly contested matter within a divorce proceeding. When it comes to any matter involving your child, you need to have the best advocate to represent you in the courtroom. The highly skilled Overland Park child support lawyers at Joseph, Hollander & Craft would be pleased to assist you with your case.

Our Overland Park Child Support Lawyers Are Highly Skilled

Joseph, Hollander & Craft’s Overland Park child support attorneys offer comprehensive legal guidance when navigating Kansas child support matters. Whether you are establishing child support calculations for the first time or modifying an existing child support arrangement, our Overland Park child support attorneys will ensure you understand your child support options, how child support is calculated, and the impact child support will have on the needs and well-being of your child.

Our Overland Park Child Support Lawyers Create Financial Solutions to Meet Your Child’s Needs

In Kansas, both parents are obligated to support their minor child(ren) until they turn eighteen years old or graduate from high school. Support obligations past eighteen years old may occur if both parents agree to provide financial security for their children beyond that point. We help parents determine when such provisions should be made for their children and how best to do so.

The experienced Overland Park child support lawyers at JHC will advocate and provide the legal counsel you need to ensure your rights as a parent are protected and the needs of your child are met. If you’re involved in a child support dispute, We will work toward an amicable and realistic solution for everyone involved.

Child Support Modification and How Our Overland Park Child Support Lawyers Can Assist

Because child support is continuing in nature, child support modification requests are common. Kansas child support orders can be modified when there is a material change in circumstances, such as:

• A change in the age group of the child
• A change in parental income
• A changed residential custody arrangement
• The relocation of a parent
• A change in expenses, such as childcare or medical insurance

Other changes may warrant child support modification, too. Our Overland Park child support modification attorneys can help you to determine whether modification is in order or defend you when unfavorable child support modifications are requested.

JHC’s Overland Park child support attorneys are ready to assist you with your child support matter and provide the advocacy you need in getting a fair child support judgment. Call us today.

FAQs

How is child support calculated?

The purpose of child support is to pay for and provide for the minor child’s needs. Child support is calculated in part by determining the direct and indirect expenses related to the day-to-day care and well-being of the child. Direct expenses are defined as all fixed expenses that are paid directly to a third party such as school, school associated activities, church, clothing, recreational activities, sports activities, and all necessary supplies and equipment purchased for such activities. Indirect expenses are expenses that benefit the child, but are not paid directly for the child’s personal needs. Indirect expenses include food, shelter, transportation, and utilities.

In calculating child support, the court will follow the Kansas Child Support Guidelines adopted by the Supreme Court. The child support amount is calculated by determining the indirect and direct expenses, calculating the domestic gross income of both parents, and then computing the adjusted gross income after deductions are made. The court will then create a Child Support Worksheet, which will be used to calculate the net child support payments.

How can I modify a child support order?

A child support order entered by the court is not permanent—meaning the amount awarded is not set in stone until the minor child turns eighteen. To modify a current child support amount, you must show there is a change in circumstances that justifies a change in child support amount. The change cannot be a fluke; it must be systematic and continuous. Some reasons that may be construed as a systematic or continuous change in circumstances are: the parties’ overall financial income increases or decreases by 10 percent or more, remarriage, a new child, increased cost of living, child’s special needs or extraordinary expenses, and a change in geographical location.

Do I need a lawyer for child support to be entered or modified?

There is no law requiring that a parent hire an attorney to establish or modify child support, but having an attorney advocate on your behalf can be extremely helpful and ensure you obtain a fair child support order. An attorney can help with the tedious process of calculating child support, filing necessary motions, substantiating the need for a change in the amount of child support being paid, and providing the legal counsel needed to ensure your parental rights are protected. The role of an attorney in child support matters often extends to other related matters that become intertwined, such as child custody and spousal maintenance. Therefore, having legal representation is often critical in child support disputes and other related matters.

What is an income withholding order?

An income withholding order is a continuing order requiring the obligated parent’s employer to withhold a certain dollar amount from all pay periods in order to pay for child support. Under an income withholding order, income is considered any form of payment to an individual, regardless of source, such as wages, salary, commission, bonuses, retirement benefits, and workers compensation. Income withholding orders differ from wage garnishments, which are generally only for a limited period and withhold a certain percentage amount as opposed to a set dollar amount.

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