Paying child support that you can’t afford is rough. Thankfully, there are some concrete steps you can take to have your payment amounts reviewed and modified.
Don’t Stop Paying
Whatever you decide to do, don’t stop paying your child support until you are able to get help from Highwood child support lawyers. Any payments you missed will be penalized and may result in garnished wages or other consequences.
Find a Lawyer
Your next step is to look for Highwood child support lawyers that can handle your case. Any lawyer you choose should be specialized in family law, as they will know your rights in and out with regards to modifying child support payments.
Look at the Situation
With your lawyer’s help, you should evaluate how your situation has changed since you began paying child support. If you have lost your job, or you’ve had your wages reduced, you should be eligible to get your child support payments reduced. If you have an illness or other legitimate expense that has cropped up, that’s another potential reason to modify your child support payments. Sometimes a judge will also look at the disability and other reasons for lack of income as reasons to reduce your payments.
File a Petition
The final step is to file a petition with the courts. When a judge reviews your case, they will decide whether to formally modify your child support amounts.
Keep in mind that your children’s legal guardian can also petition to modify child support amounts in an upward direction. If your child gets sick and needs more support, you might find yourself on the other end of a formal modification of child support amounts. Either way, keep in touch with your Highwood child support lawyers so that they can answer any questions or issues that arise with your case.
