When it comes to child support, both parents should follow certain guidelines provided by the law. They are supposed to cooperate and have an acceptable agreement on splitting and sharing the responsibilities.

The child support guidelines don’t care whether they are divorced, don’t live together, or are not married. The parties involved must follow all the guidelines to the letter, and deviation from any rule can lead to court cases, advises Charles County Family Law Attorney.

Thus, taking care of the children and their needs is shared between the parents. If the parents refuse to corporate, the court can take over the case.

The best way to approach child support is for both parents to agree. The law provides various workable agreements, and you can consult child support lawyers in Charles County, MD, to help you understand more.

Parents can use the information provided to work on how to implement them and have a workable solution.

However, if they feel the process is overwhelming, they can use a trusted Charles County Family Lawyer to help in navigating through the process.

What Process is Used for Determining Child Support in Maryland?

The process used is the “income sharing model.” In this model, the parent’s custody is determined by how much each person earns. They can use such a formula to reach an agreement:

1. How much money does each person earn monthly? The funds are divided according to the income. If any parent does not have any source of income, the calculations are based on the potential income. A child support lawyer in Charles County MD can help you negotiate when you don’t understand how such matters are handled.
2. As long they are able to work, they are not excluded. If any parent is in jail, the law looks at why they were jailed.  With the information, they can determine if the parent can pay or not pay.
3. The court may also look at if either parent has any alimony obligations. Do they pay for other child’s expenses like medical? If so, they can have the costs minimized.
4. Earnings of both parents. The incomes are put together, and the total is used to determine how much each should pay. Note that when this is done, the parents must follow the child’s guidelines provided by the law.
5. When they have an income agreed upon, they can look for ways of paying. If a parent solely takes care of the children (custodial), then the noncustodial parent should pay them an agreed amount from the combined income. If the agreement is for shared custody, then the amount could go down a bit. Parents can look out for Charles County Child Support Attorney to help them calculate their incomes to ensure transparency.
6. If the court finds it necessary for the noncustodial to pay other expenses like health costs and daycare expenses, they can give a direction on that. The law allows them to rule in such circumstances.

Can a Parent Modify or Terminate Child Custody?

Yes, there is room for modification and termination. However, this will depend on several factors. The judge will want to know what justifies the changes. Some of the acceptable modifications are alterations to payment (high-income) and changes to child custody arrangements previously made.

When the child support increases or decreases by at least 25%, the parents can also seek child modification. The court can offer changes based on what is put on the table. With the help of Charles County MD Child Support Attorney, the parents can have their cases negotiated to get the best ruling.

Termination is possible if the child reaches the age of 18 and 19 for ongoing schoolers. The court has the mandate to determine other reasons for termination.

Must the Parents Seek Court Assistance

If the parents agree to share the responsibilities, they don’t need to go to court. They can discuss with their attorneys, who will help them understand what is required of them. They can visit the Maryland family law section, and, with the help of Charles County MD Child Support Lawyer, they can go through the guidelines.

The courts should come in if they don’t have any agreement or if one parent doesn’t want to pay for the child’s support. If any parent is denied responsibility for the child, the court can also be involved.

What if Parents don’t Reach any Agreement?

The child support law is clear. If no agreement is reached between the parents, they can seek help and look for competent attorneys from the Law Office of Robert Castro to present their cases. Having a Charles County child support lawyer is an added advantage because they know how to present your case. They also offer legal advice on how to handle child support issues.