New Jersey Child Support Lawyer

Our Attorneys Understand How Child Support Works In New Jersey

One of the most complicated and confusing legal issues that sometimes comes up with divorce involves child support. If you are dealing with a legal matter involving child support in New Jersey, our attorneys at Williams Law Group, LLC can help you every step of the way.

It’s important that you have a lawyer working with you on your child support case since the financial stakes can often be extremely high. So, whether you’re paying for or receiving child support, it’s critical that you fully understand your legal options. That’s why our experienced New Jersey child support attorneys want to help.

Understanding Child Support In New Jersey

The child support system in New Jersey can be hard to navigate, especially if you are new to the process and have never attempted it before. The laws can sometimes make it difficult to file paperwork or obtain information regarding your case on your own from the courthouse.

Family courts are vigilant about protecting the rights of children, and each parent has an obligation to their child to provide financial support. Therefore, it can be frustrating and stressful if a parent fails to meet these obligations. Additionally, dealing with your ex-partner during these negotiations can be difficult. Plus, you may need help modifying the amount of support you pay or the amount of support that you are being paid.

In general, there can be many issues that revolve around parental financial obligations that can be difficult to handle without an experienced family law attorney. Fortunately, one of our New Jersey child support lawyers could help you navigate this process that is vital to your children’s well-being and your financial stability.

What are the Child Support Guidelines in New Jersey?

In New Jersey, children have the right to be financially supported by both of their parents. When parents are separated or going through the divorce process, courts use statutory child support guidelines to determine how much one parent may need to pay the other. These guidelines are based on many factors, and also give a court the discretion to modify support payments as needed.

State law establishes that every child has a right to support from both parents, which means that income from both parties becomes a factor in determining parental financial obligations. A court considers a complete financial picture when establishing payment amounts.

When one parent is seeking child support from the other, they must file a Case Information Statement (CIS), which provides the court with a general idea of the individual’s finances. One of our dedicated New Jersey child support lawyers can guide a parent through the child support process and help them gather any necessary documentation needed for the application to the court. While the CIS puts the numbers before the court, judges may consider many factors when allocating child support. Some of these factors may include:

• The child’s needs and existing lifestyle.
• Each parent’s role in the child’s life.
• All income sources from both parents.
• Medical expenses and special needs

Can You Negotiate Child Support In New Jersey?

Yes. One side cannot dictate how much the other side must pay or receive in child support. Instead of simply letting a New Jersey family law judge or one side decide how much you should pay or receive in child support, you have the power to negotiate child support payments.

However, such negotiations can be complicated. Other lawyers representing your ex-spouse or another party might try to pressure you into accepting less money in child support or paying more money than you can afford. Either way, an experienced New Jersey child support attorney working for you can help level the playing field.

Can Child Support Be Modified In New Jersey?

The short answer? Yes. Just because you agreed to accept a child support payment plan does not mean it cannot be changed or modified in the future. New Jersey’s legal system understands that people’s economic situation can change. As a result, child support payments sometimes need to be modified as well. And when this occurs, having an experienced child support lawyer representing you can often make a dramatic difference in the outcome of your legal case.

Modification of Child Support Payments

Over the years, a child’s needs or a parent’s income may change. In these cases, after the initial order, a New Jersey child support attorney can help a parent file a motion to modify child support based on new facts and evidence.

When trying to modify one of these orders, a parent must prove that there has been a change in circumstances. This may involve a wide array of life events, such as a loss of income or the obligation to support another child.

For example, a parent may request to lower their child support amount because of a loss of employment. However, if a parent’s income increases dramatically, due to a promotion for instance, the amount they owe may increase.

How Long Does a Parent Have to Pay Child Support?

Although an individual becomes a legal adult at 18, a parent’s child support obligation does not necessarily end at that age. In New Jersey, except in certain circumstances, a parent must make support payments until their child reaches the age of 19, at which point the child is considered emancipated and parental financial obligations will terminate automatically. However, if a motion for emancipation was already filed when the child turned 18, this also may end child support payments.

Additionally, if a child is enrolling in college as a full-time student, child support payments must continue and may extend into post-graduate years. Further, there are other limited circumstances where a child support obligation may continue as well. For more information about this, please contact our New Jersey attorneys for an initial consultation.

Consult with Our New Jersey Child Support Attorneys

Your child’s welfare is undoubtedly crucial to you, and meeting financial obligations can be burdensome. There are many factors to consider in the life of a growing family; needs and income can change rapidly. Therefore, we urge you to contact us at your earliest convenience to see how we can help you. Our experienced staff will make you feel right at home from the first instant that you set foot in our offices.

We know how much your children mean to you since we have families ourselves. We understand how difficult the child support process can be if you do not have an experienced legal guide to help you to navigate the system. We know that you need an emotional support system and work to provide you with the support you need to help you through this trying time.

We have established relationships with the other local family court lawyers, and we can work with them to reach a fair settlement. You get an entire team to work for you when you choose our firm, not just one lawyer assigned to your case. Contact our New Jersey child support lawyers for help on your case. We have two New Jersey offices conveniently located in Short Hills and Parsippany.