Child Support
What are your rights?
Child support is a vital aspect of a child’s life after a divorce or separation. Both parents have an obligation to provide financial support for a minor child. But you may have questions or concerns about how child support is calculated, how it is paid, or how it is used.
Child Support Guidelines
The experienced attorneys at Shearin Law are very knowledgeable about the North Carolina child support guidelines and will explain the legal process involved in your particular case.
In most cases, child support is determined based on guidelines set forth by the State using the following factors to determine the amount of child support:
Each parent’s gross monthly income
The cost of work-related child care paid by either parent
The cost of health insurance provided by either parent
Pre-existing child support obligations and responsibilities for other children
Extraordinary expenses in some cases (such as educational, medical, or travel expenses)
The physical custody schedule for the children
The calculation of child support may seem very straightforward, but it is important to have a skilled child-support attorney guide you through the process.
Child Support VS. Child Custody
Our attorneys will explain the relationship between child support and child custody, what constitutes income for child support purposes, and other factors that affect the amount of child support so that you understand all your options for child support. We will gather the appropriate financial documents, help you complete the child support worksheets, and walk you through every step in the legal process.
There are also instances when the child support guidelines will not apply to your case. Sometimes it is necessary to deviate from the guidelines to meet the child's needs. And in high-income cases, child support will be based on the “reasonable needs of the child.” In those cases, parents often differ on what they believe are the children’s reasonable needs. We will help you determine your children’s reasonable needs and advocate for an amount of child support that is fair and appropriate.
While child support is mainly about crunching numbers, at Shearin Law, we do not forget that our clients and their children are real people affected by and living with the child-support calculations. Whether you are a parent who pays child support or receives child support, we are here to help you. Our attorneys handle all types of support-related matters, including initial child support determinations, modifications, deviations, enforcement, and more.