Respected Westport Family Litigators Pursue Fair Orders

In Connecticut, minor children are legally entitled to financial support from both parents. The Westport child support attorneys at MeehanLaw, LLC, help parents achieve fair child support orders, carefully examining the circumstances to present a full picture of the parents’ means and the children’s needs. We have decades of experience helping parents on both the paying and receiving sides with initial support, modification and enforcement requests.

Connecticut Attorneys Collect Evidence For A Fair Calculation

In the Westport area, as elsewhere, child support needs vary. Our experienced family law trial attorneys can explain the factors that judges use in applying the Connecticut Child Support and Arrearage Guidelines, which include:

  • Parental income: Courts consider the combined total weekly income of both parents to determine how much is available to meet the needs of their minor children. The proportion of that total earned by each parent is also calculated.
  • Living arrangements: In most cases, the noncustodial parent is ordered to pay support to the custodial parent. Payments are used to cover housing, food, daycare and other daily costs.
  • Health insurance: Judges consider what each parent pays into a child’s health insurance plan. Insurance costs count toward a parent’s overall financial obligation. If one parent paid the majority of a child’s past medical expenses, this can be factored into the calculations.
  • Other support obligations: If a parent is already paying child support for a child from a previous relationship, the new support order may be for less than would otherwise be expected.

Adjustments to the amount of support owed can be made based on the number of shared children, any special needs of children, costs of extracurricular activities and household income contributions made by a parent’s new spouse, among other factors.

Diligent Advocates Seek Orders And Modifications That Provide For Minors

After a parent files for child support, the court will use the Connecticut Child Support and Arrearage Guidelines to calculate an amount. If the parents can reach an agreement before going to court, the judge can sign off on their plan and make it official. The court order will state the amount and frequency of payments.

A parent may find that the established plan becomes unfair as time progresses and as family needs evolve. A lost job or big promotion can result in a notable disparity between the original and current income upon which the plan was based, for example. If changes are consistent with a shift of at least 15 percent in the child support amount suggested by the guidelines, we can seek a modification. The petitioning parent must attend a court hearing with a judge or family court magistrate.

Family Lawyers Step In When Support Is Past Due

Our firm can help you get a child support order enforced when a parent fails to make payments or underpays. The state’s Support Enforcement Services Unit can deduct funds directly from the parent’s paycheck. The recipient parent can seek a court order to intercept the parent’s tax refund. A lien can be placed on the paying parent’s property. And that parent can be held in contempt of court until payment is made. Willful nonpayers also face driver’s license suspension.

Contact Respected Westport Child Support Attorneys For A Consultation

At MeehanLaw, LLC, in Westport, we represent Connecticut clients with child support orders, modifications and enforcement. For a consultation with a qualified family lawyer, call 203-989-2949 or contact us online.