Child Support in Rochester
Your child is likely one of the most important people in your life. They deserve the best care they can get. Sometimes, when people go through custody battles, the child is left essentially split. This means that the care for this child must be divided properly in order to ensure they are cared for properly. One of the ways that this is done is through child support. Child support can act as a lifeline for many parents who otherwise would struggle to care for their child on their own. If you’re going through a divorce or custody deliberation in Rochester, identifying the necessity of child support is important.
What is Child Support?
Child support is one of the most important parts of custody cases. They ensure that the parents are able to successfully care for and provide for their child. As the name suggests, child support is the continued and periodic payment made for the financial benefit of a child after a relationship is ended.
Child support is paid for by a parent and is meant to cover food, clothing, and shelter expenses for the child. This way, your child can live as if they were obtaining assistance from both parties in the relationship.
Who Can Collect Child Maintenance?
When child support is being determined, who claims the support often depends on who holds sole custody of the child. This person is known as the custodial parent which means that the child resides with them and supports them majority or all of the time. Though this is the most common situation, sometimes in cases of shared custody, one parent may still be eligible to receive child support.
This often occurs when the other parent makes significantly more money than they do. Situations can become complicated, however, if the two parents are unmarried. In this case, the father may try to deny paternity so he can avoid paying child support. In these cases, paternity tests are often required to proceed with a case.
How to Get Child Support
When you determine that child support is necessary, there is a specific legal process that you must follow in order to get this child support in Rochester. The first step is to contact your local child support office. Here, they’ll help you file a case and answer any questions that you might have.
It helps to hire a attorney at this time as well. This is because child support battles can be complicated. It’s best to have someone supporting you throughout the entirety of the process.
How is Child Maintenance Calculated?
Child support is calculated through either mediation or court order. Mediation occurs when the parents sit down and discuss an appropriate and agreed-upon amount, while court orders mandate a specific amount to be paid. When going through the court process, the judge will consider the total income of both parties and take a certain percentage from that number that indicates how much it costs to raise a child. It is typically 17 percent for one child, 25 percent for two, and so on.
After this point, the court will then split this cost up depending on the percentage of money from the combined income that the non-custodial parent makes. This is how much they have to pay for child support.
Finding a Child Support Lawyer in Rochester
The child support process is a long and complicated one. It helps to have someone who can walk you through each step and ensure that you’re doing the right things. If you’re looking for someone to guide you through child support in Rochester, The Cimino Law Firm can help. Our law firm is one of the best in Rochester and can ensure you remain focused throughout this process.
Be sure to call us today if you’re in search of a child support lawyer in Rochester.
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