Boone Child Support Lawyers

Ensuring that your child’s expenses are met every day

It costs a fortune to raise a child. Children are in constant need of new clothes, food, and healthcare. They need books, computers, and money for different social activities. The simple reality is that living apart is more expensive than living together. That doesn’t mean your child should suffer because you divorce or separate.

North Carolina wants children to live as close as financially possible to the way they did before the parents’ separation. Our Boone child support lawyers understand how much parents should pay to support their children. We can obtain official court orders through the Watauga County courts to ensure your child’s needs are met. At Epperson Law Group, PLLC. We can explain how child support is calculated, when an order can be modified, and how child support orders are enforced.

How can we help?

How does North Carolina determine the amount of child support?
Who pays the child support order in Boone?
Does child support pay all my child’s expenses?
How long does a child support order last?
Are modifications to child support orders allowed in Boone?
What can I do if my co-parent is paying the child support order?
Do visitation rights affect child support?
Do you have a Boone child support lawyer near me?

How does North Carolina determine the amount of child support?

North Carolina uses specific guidelines to determine how much child support your child needs. The guidelines focus mostly on the parent’s income, and not their expenses. The main factors are:

Each parent’s income
How many dependent children each parent has
The child custody order and the parenting plan
The bills for your child’s:
- Healthcare including special needs costs
- Childcare
- Education

The expenses are likely to grow as your child ages and enters school.

While most parents put their children’s needs first, there are many parents who try to hide their income or claim they’re earning much less than they really are. Our Boone child support lawyers know how to identify all of your co-parent’s income including wages, business profits, rental income, investment income, and all types of income. We can thoroughly review your co-parent’s financial records. When necessary, we work with financial experts to assess your co-parent’s finances.

Please know that the North Carolina guidelines apply to family incomes of $300,000 per year or less. When families have higher income levels, the family law judge has more discretion.

Who pays the child support order in Boone?

Generally, the parent with less physical custody pays child support. Who has physical custody is not the key factor, however. The main factor is each parent’s income. If a child stays with a parent who makes a lot of money and the non-custodial parent less, the custodial parent may be required to pay support to ensure the child has a nice place to live when they are with the other parent.

The duty to pay child support applies to parents who divorce and to parents who separate. The main difference is that when parents are not married, there may also be a paternity dispute.

Does child support pay all my child’s expenses?

Generally, support orders are paid to the family court in Watauga County on a regular basis, often twice a month. If you are the parent receiving the support check, you do not need to formally account for every expense. The parent who is paying support does have the right to question how the payment is being used if there is a concern that a child’s needs are not being met.

Children have the right to more than just basic needs. They’re your children; deserve the best. The support order should afford a lifestyle as close as possible to before the relationship dissolved.

Our Boone child support lawyers can seek child support for your child’s:

Home
Food
Clothes
Transportation
School supplies
Health insurance
Entertainment
Childcare
Social activities
Other expenses

The North Carolina child support order should also cover any special expenses your child has, like additional health care costs, educational expenses, and disability expenses.

How long does a child support order last?

The duty to pay child support lasts until your child turns 18 or is emancipated (like joining the military or marrying).

North Carolina does require that parents pay child support up to age 20 if a child is still in high school, provided the child is making academic progress. Other extension exceptions may apply.

A child support order can include payments for college tuition, a trade school, or other expenses.

While the obligor parent can stop payment of child support at 18 (unless there’s an agreement to pay beyond 18), that parent must still pay any arrears.

Are modifications to child support orders allowed in Boone?

Yes. You need to show that there is a significant change in circumstances. Possible changes in circumstances that could justify a modification include:

The income of a parent changes – upward or downward
A parent’s health changes
A parent has a new child
Your child has special needs due to educational and/or health issues such as disability
A parent is deployed
A parent is in jail

North Carolina also can authorize a modification if a child support order is more than three years old, and the guidelines would change that order by 15% or more.

What can I do if my co-parent is paying the child support order?

Our Boone child support lawyers file petitions to hold an obligor parent in contempt if that parent is in arrears. The family judge can extend the time for payment, increase the amount of the order to cover the arrears, order that a parent’s income be garnished, or even order that the obligor parent be incarcerated.

Do visitation rights affect child support?

Generally, no. The duty to pay child support is separate from your child custody or visitation rights. Your child needs a place to live today. They need food and clothing now. Whether you see your children or not, if a court order says you have to pay child support, then you must pay that support – even if your spouse or ex isn’t letting you see your children.

You do have a remedy: You can seek to enforce an existing child custody order. If there is no current child custody order, our Boone child support lawyers can help you obtain a child custody order.

Do you have a Boone child support lawyer near me?

Epperson Law Group is located at 870 W. King Street, Unit A. Our lawyers also consult with clients by phone and video. We can answer your questions and ensure there’s a child support order for your child.

Speak with a Boone child support lawyer today

Parents must place their child’s needs before their own. At Epperson Law Group, PLLC, our family lawyers negotiate child support agreements and litigate them in court when necessary. If a parent isn’t making timely payments, we can file to enforce payment. If there is a true change in circumstance, we can seek a modification. To schedule a consultation with an experienced Boone child support lawyer, please call us or fill out our contact form.