Child Support Attorneys in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
Dedicated Family Law Attorneys Fight to Ensure Clients Receive Fair Treatment under Pennsylvania Child Support Laws
Child support is a financial obligation placed upon a parent to provide for his or her child’s needs. Child support is based upon the understanding that each parent has a duty to care and provide for his or her child regardless of where that child resides. Under Pennsylvania law, every parent is required to financially support his or her children until each child reaches the age of 18 and graduates from high school. Although it can seem like the courts use a formulaic approach to determining child support obligations, in reality, a child support proceeding is all but straightforward. Instead, many child support cases have complications that make calculating an obligation all the more difficult.
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The experienced Blue Bell child support attorneys of Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford P.C. understand that it is important to you that your children are well-provided for. We also work hard to ensure that our clients are treated fairly under Pennsylvania’s child support laws. Child support is a serious obligation under Pennsylvania law; there can be significant consequences for failing to comply with a child support obligation. As a result, it is important that you have an attorney with the knowledge and skills to advocate on your behalf and ensure that you receive fair treatment during the determination of child support obligations. If you are looking to establish a child support obligation for your child’s other parent, are having issues enforcing an existing child support order, or have fallen behind on your own child support obligations, our Blue Bell child support lawyers are ready to fight for you and your rights.
Determining Child Support Obligations in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
Although the parents’ income is arguably the most important factor in determining child support obligations, Pennsylvania courts consider a number of statutory factors in arriving at a final calculation of a child support obligation, such as:
- The income of each parent
- The relative earning capacity of each parent
- The existing custody arrangement
- The number of children that will receive child support
- The children’s expenses, including medical expenses, tuition costs, childcare, and the cost of reasonable extracurricular and recreational activities
- Any special needs of a child
- The child’s standard of living prior to the parents’ divorce or separation, if applicable
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Child support obligations also largely reflect the custody arrangement between the parents. As a result, a child support obligation may be reduced if the parents have a shared custody arrangement.
Experienced Blue Bell Family Law Attorneys Provide Compassionate Legal Representation in Child Support Matters
At Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford P.C., our attorneys have the experience necessary to understand that initially calculating a child support obligation is only the first step in the child support process. We are able to help our clients through every aspect of the child support process, addressing issues such as:
- Determining the income of self-employed parents
- Modifying existing child support orders to reflect changed circumstances, such as increases or decreases in a parent’s income or increases in a child’s expenses
- Enforcement of child support orders
- Resolving issues created by parents seeking to reduce or avoid child support obligations, such as concealing assets or income
- Resolving paternity
It is important to remember that “income” for child support obligation purposes is not the same as taxable income. Instead, courts can increase a parent’s income by adding in items such as retirement account contributions and other income that would be deductible or not subject to taxation. In addition, a court may impose a higher child support obligation on a parent if the court determines that the parent is earning significantly less than he or she should be and assigns a greater weight to the parent’s earning capacity.
Our dedicated, knowledgeable child support attorneys can help you through whatever issues may arise for you and your family. We are ready to advocate for you and your children’s interests throughout the child support process.
Contact Our Knowledgeable Child Support Lawyers in Blue Bell, PA
Whether you are looking to establish an initial child support order, modify or enforce an existing order, or are having problems complying with your child support obligations, our experienced Blue Bell child support attorneys will help you understand your rights and options. Call us or send us a message through our Contact Us page on our website to schedule a consultation with one of our knowledgeable family law attorneys to learn more about how our firm can serve you and your children’s interests.
Frequently Asked Questions about Child Support in Blue Bell, PA
Yes. Pennsylvania law requires each parent subject to a child support order to report increases in their income. If you believe your child’s other parent has experienced a significant, sustained increase in their income, we can help you obtain the evidence necessary to prove the increased income (particularly if he or she is attempting to conceal that income), and we can petition the court to modify the existing child support arrangement. When applicable, a modified child support arrangement can also be retroactive, allowing you and your child to receive back payments to reflect your child’s other parent’s increased income from the date of the increase.
Child support obligations are a serious matter under Pennsylvania law and under the laws of every state. There can be serious consequences for a parent who fails to fulfill his or her child support obligations. We can pursue multiple options to ensure that your child’s other parent complies with his or her support obligations, including attaching his or her wages (including unemployment compensation benefits, workers’ compensation benefits, retirement and pension benefits, and tax refunds), reporting him or her to the credit bureaus. We can also petition the court to exercise its authority to enforce compliance, including suspending your child’s other parent’s driver’s license or imposing fines or jail time if he or she has significant delinquency.
