Overrun with Child Support

[shrinkmaster]

Either parent can drag other to court over any one or more issues including support! However as noted her new mans income is not part of equation as he has NO LEGAL obligation to support any child or children from previous marriage/relationship. If you feel any part of your arrangement wrong or unfair talk to your Lawyer and get court order revised.

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Parenting and relationship forum (hosted by thelaw.com) non legal issues

 

[Highwayman]

Why Thank You, Dear HWM!! It is rather good...If you ever want the recipe for my meatballs let me know. Everyone goes gaga for my MB subs/grinder/whatever you wrongly call a sub.

end hijack,

This is my final word on this subject. Yes, I'd love the recipe.

And it's a "HERO", not any of the others.

 

[leslie82]

I'm proud parent of two little girls, and from the start, I'll state that I have no problem paying child support. But my current situation is making me feel as if the amount I pay is unfair. A few years ago the kids' mother and I set up our visitation agreement, and our attorneys decided to fight over child support. It got increased, which I expected with a better paying job. It was no big deal.

About a year ago their mom got married, and their household income went up dramatically as she got a better paying job too. Making over $15 an hour, 40 hours a week she pulls in a good amount. Her husband makes over $4000 after taxes a month. I pay $613 a month. Comparing my single income to theirs, it made my decent paying job feel like minimum wage. In no way are they struggling, and I'm barely able to hold up an apartment and other bills on top of it. I've never complained about this, I've just done the best with what I can. But recently they bought a house. I'm struggling to move out of a small apartment, and they continue to move up with no sign of struggle or financial burden holding them down. I'm happy that my kids are well taken care when they are at their mom's house. But for some reason both their incomes versus mine, the amount I pay feels like it's more of just adding to their wealth.

Would I be in the wrong to ask for them to reduce child support? Keeping in mind their incomes together, I don't make nearly close to half of what they make together. I want the best for my kids too, but I'm starting to feel I'm getting the bad end.

Her husband's income has no bearing on child support. None. He has zero obligation to your kids with your ex. The child support is figured out between her income and yours. So if she has no income, that's what the court bases it off.

When I got divorced my ex husband didn't have a job (and barely has had one since then). So my lawyer figured out what a 40 hour work week min wage would be. It's like almost $90 a month he owes for child support. For our daughter. He owes about $330 for all four of his kids he has. That's it.

Child support is what you would have been contributing if you were still in the household. You can go ahead and try to modify child support but it's likely not to happen if she hasn't had a change in her income.

Oh and I paid my ex husband's child support when I was with him so we could see the kids because his first ex used lack of child support against visitation which is contempt. But never did his child support change because of my income.

 

[leslie82]

I agree, they are my responsibility, not his. So she continues to make more and more money. Driving new cars, bought a new home, and no major financial burden. And I work a good job that might as well be minimum wage. I know I'm not over reacting. I didn't have a problem with the increase of child support to my newest job. But when the income on the other end just continues to go up and I'm still paying the same amount, there is a line that needs to be drawn. I still pay my child support and still buy them clothes and food and everything my kids need in their home with me as well.

How is she making more money? Did SHE have a pay increase? If HER paycheck has changed then you can file to modify based on HER paycheck. But you can't based on his.

That's how it works. If you have a change in your income that you are making less you can ask for it to be reduced. Or a change in hers. But that is it.

 

[leslie82]

Also, I'm not the first parent to acknowledge unfair amounts. I've had friends get theirs reduced under similar circumstances.

Ok, that is your opinion. But you really should go back and read the original post. In no shape or form does it have to deal with what the kids are entitled to. But when one parent thrives and continues to increase her income, while the other loses income, there is a point when things need to be re-evaluated. I'm not gonna assume whether you have kids or not, or if you pay child support. But when we do our income evals, our case worker looks at not just my income, she looks at the other parent's inome as well and bases the monthly amount payed based on how much both parents make. But you keep beating around that and talk about entitlement to the kids.

No you didn't have friends who had their child support decreased because a new spouse got a payraise. There's no way that happened.

SHE didn't have an increase in income. Her HUSBAND did. So yes you are missing the point.

Did your ex get a pay raise or did she marry into money?

 

[leslie82]

Hi, my name is Billy and I've got two little girls whom I share joint custody over. Their mother is the primary. Not long ago her and her husband bought a house, and they have yet to set a move date. The other day, on the phone we were attempting to discuss ideas on how we can manage the days we share the kids. Toward the end of the conversation, she told me something that set off a bunch of red flags in my head. It just doesn't feel right.

The kids' mother told me she's going to need me to sign a paper acknowledging that she's told me in a month in advance that she is moving. Over a year ago I had moved to a different town, never did I ask her to sign a paper. In our custody agreement, at the end of the weekend she is supposed to pick the girls up from my home. But because of the move, I agreed to accommodate and meet them half way. Now that she is moving and is adding on another 30 minutes to the drive (close to a full hour one way), she doesn't seem like she wants to give the same consideration. I get the sense she wants me to accommodate for her move; a move she decided to do on her own.

My question is, is there some kind catch to her trying to get me to sign acknowledgment that she is moving?

On top of this conversation on the phone, I told her I wasn't going to give up time on my end just because she moved. We have a legal binding agreement. Her response was that the kids will eventually be teenagers and prob won't want much time with any of us. I didn't reply, our kids are 5 and 9 years old. Then she ran the idea of me visiting the kids there and spending time at the community center there instead of taking them home on my short days. Again, it feels like she is wanting me to accommodate for their move. I accommodated for mine. I even planned to move to a town a half hour closer in 7 months. Pls help with advice or insight. I feel like she's trying to make me legally accountable for making up for her move.

Thank you so much for your time and patience.

What's wrong with her having you sign something that says she told you a month ago she's moving? What's the court order say about moving?

Even though my ex husband has no parenting time, I had to go through the court to move my daughter with me when I got reassigned. I probably could have done it without court but I never know what he may do in the future. So I dropped about 3700 on a lawyer - my ex didn't dispute it since he was in jail at the time. More wasted money on him. And I got approved to move her with me. I knew I would. But that was the law in the state we divorced in. So I did it. Because I had read my decree. So read your decree and custody order.