Make sure your children are always provided for with help from an expert child support attorney
By law, parents are required to provide for the financial support of their children, even when those children do not live in the same household with them. Sometimes, divorced, separated, or unmarried parents can agree on an appropriate amount of support and schedule payments without the intercession of the courts. More often, however, outside help is needed.
As your child support attorney, Kendall Gkikas & Mitchell, LLP can represent your interests in negotiations with the other parent’s attorney or in litigation. We have ample experience representing both parents seeking support and parents responding to support orders, and we can make sure you end up with a fair support order that adequately provides for the well-being of your children.
Calculating Child Support
In California, the amount of child support is governed by the state’s official Guideline Calculation Formula in most cases. This formula takes into account a variety of basic factors about the family situation:
- Time that each parent has the child in their custody and control
- Gross income of each parent
- Tax filing status of each parent
- Child care costs
- Other mandatory expenses such as health insurance costs, union dues, and support of other children
Expenses that are not covered by the Guideline Calculation include:
- Car payments
- Credit card payments
- Rent or mortgage payments
- Groceries
- Extra-curricular costs
Enforcement of Child Support Orders
Once a child support order has been obtained, it can be enforced through wage garnishment, levies, and contempt. Also, any unpaid child support automatically accrues interest. In the State of California, these penalties and interest can be very substantial, sometimes actually exceeding the actual amount of past due child support. If a parent falls too far behind, their driver’s license can be taken away, professional licenses can be suspended, and they could face potential criminal prosecution by the district attorney. Therefore, if you are a parent that owes child support and your financial situation has changed such that you cannot pay the current amount of child support, it is imperative that you get help from a child support attorney immediately rather than risk falling behind on your support. Your child support attorney can help you go to court to request a modification of the existing child support order.
Click here to download Child Support Handbook. This handbook provides general information about California’s Child Support Services Program. It is intended to help parents, guardians and families understand how to access child support services.
Get a Tough but Fair Child Support Attorney on Your Side Now
At Kendall Gkikas & Mitchell, LLP, we have over 20 years of experience dealing with all kinds of family law issues, including child support and child custody. As your child support attorney, we can help you ensure your children are always provided for and that financial responsibilities are shared fairly and equitably between you and the other parent. Whether you need representation in court or in negotiations or just advice for self-representation, we are here to assist you.