If you are already paying child support, it can seem as though having another child would be an impossible financial burden. The truth is that a child support order in California considers a variety of circumstances when determining how much should be paid – one of the most impactful of which is how many dependents you have and how many children you support.
Keep reading to find out how having another child may affect your child support payments. You can also contact Kendall Gkikas & Mitchell at 909-482-1422 to get direct advice on your specific case.
You May Need to File for Child Support Modification
If you have had a significant change in your circumstances that affects how much child support you can reasonably pay, then the courts may agree to a child support modification. Having another child that you are financially responsible for is likely to be accepted as a valid reason to do so.
However, keep in mind that this may actual increase your child support – it all depends on who the other parent is. If you are having another child with the parent you already pay support to, then you will likely pay more support as you will now have another child with them. That said, this does not mean that your payments will be doubled or tripled – each additional child will generally come with a 60% increase in support instead of 100% if it were doubled.
On the other hand, if you are having a child with a different person and support of that child will not be added to the support order you are paying, then the modification may involve starting over from scratch. The court will begin with the base child support that they always did, but now your additional expenses due to a new child will be taken into consideration.
Do You Believe Your Child Support Order Should Be Changed?
If you have experienced a significant change in your financial situation then you may be eligible to have your child support modified. If so, your best move is to contact a family law attorney. When you contact Kendall Gkikas & Mitchell at 909-482-1422, we will schedule an appointment for you. You can speak to an attorney about your current situation and what you would like to change about it.
In some cases, it can be easy to have your child support modified. These are situations in which you and your child’s co-parent have agreed upon the amount of child support paid. However, if you are paying via court order, then there are legal loopholes you will need to jump through. The good news is that you are not alone in it – all you have to do is contact Kendall Gkikas & Mitchell at 909-482-1422 and we will get started.
