Child Support
San Mateo Child Support Lawyers
“Determining the amount and duration of child support can be contentious, especially in cases involving high income earners or self-employed business owners. If parents cannot agree, a family law judge will decide the matter. A common misconception that many divorcing spouses don’t understand is that child support is a right of the child, not of the other parent. The financial needs of each child during and after a divorce need to be met.”
Caitlin Ashton
Child support is a shared responsibility to meet your children’s financial needs.
Child support is determined based on multiple criteria including: each parent’s income and certain expenses, the number of children, the amount of time each parent spends with the children, and any special needs the children might have or other relevant factors.
Though California has a formula for calculating child support, there’s room for – and a need for – weighing other considerations. A skilled child support lawyer who’s also a negotiator and divorce mediator can make all the difference so that, post-agreement, neither party will suffer from significant financial loss.
How else can a child support lawyer help?
Firstly, we can help by recommending that you and your spouse enter into mediation and try to resolve your differences with the help of one of our skilled divorce mediators. That would be a best-case scenario. We can also help if you need to seek an order for child support. And if you need to hold your ex-spouse responsible for inadequate or missing payments, we can help with that, too.
Terminology
refers to the amount one parent pays the other for support of their children.
are orders issued by the court – such as temporary child support orders – before the case goes to trial to establish boundaries and maintain the family’s status quo until a final divorce and/or custody agreement is signed.
refers to the determination of how the parents divide the rights and responsibilities of taking care of their children
means the parents share the rights and responsibilities for their children. Sole custody means one of the parents primarily has this right and responsibility.
Case Story
A Child Support Client In Their Own Words
“I was naive about custody. I had never been married, had a child out of wedlock who’s 3 now, and his dad, is in the picture, but I don’t want child support, I don’t want him to feel I owe him something. We got joint legal custody because my son’s dad was recognized as the father in California.
I was working hard in tech sales, living with my mom in the Bay Area, a very expensive area, and felt we needed to move. So I was packing up my family when I get a call from the dad’s attorney the day before we moved to Roseville with all my savings invested in my new home, and he says, ‘We haven’t heard your response to this exparte and you’re in contempt of court.’ I was frantic. So I called an attorney friend who referred me to Amy, ‘She’s pricey but an investment in a quality outcome. When I talked to her, she was on vacation skiing yet she was still on a call. She aligned with my ethos.
Then he accused me of domestic violence. Amy went right to the judge and defended me. When he wasn’t going to release my son back to me because the baby wasn’t ‘safe’ with me, I had Amy: ‘Sarah, print out your custody papers and take them to the courthouse(?), show some authority.’ She not only guided me correctly, but she was on the phone with 2 police officers at 9pm in another time zone while at a Train concert with her son. Still, she had her attorney wits about her. And I got my son back! There’s Amy and then there’s everyone else. Her commitment is on another level.”
SARAH
Is Your California Child Support Lawyer Getting You All The Support You’re Entitled To?
Maybe, maybe not. But since child support laws vary from state to state, let’s first identify exactly how child support is defined in California. According to California Child Support Services,
Next Step
Book a consultation.
Let’s talk about your child support needs. How can we help?
If you’re looking for some of the best child support lawyers in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area, let’s talk. Call us at 650.343.3486 or email us here.
Let’s get started.
Q How does Divorce generally work in CA?
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Q What does the “best interest” standard mean in custody cases?
Q Is it possible to successfully divorce a narcissist?
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Think About It: Is It Really So Strange To Have A Transactional Real Estate Lawyer At A Family Law Firm? We find it
You’re in luck because you’re in California, a community property state. And that makes the division of assets simple in that everything acquired