Supportive Attorneys For Your Child Support Issues
Child support issues can arise both within divorce cases as well as between unmarried couples. If you are considering filing a child support action, timing is extremely important. Even if two parties hope not to engage in litigation and are likely to settle, it is sometimes advantageous to file a case early in the separation to secure retroactivity. At Hirsch & Ehlenberger, P.C., we can advise you whether your situation would benefit from an early filing or whether it would be strategically advantageous to wait to file.
It Could Get Complicated, But We Have Experience On Both Sides
One of the most common questions asked by clients going through child support litigation is what to do if they have been a stay-at-home mother or stay-at-home father, or if the other parent has not worked in a long time due to taking on parenting or other responsibilities. The decision to have one parent stay at home often results in uncertainty for both parties when it comes to child support litigation.
Courts have the ability to impute income to a parent under appropriate circumstances if they are not reasonably employed. This means that a court can assign a reasonable income to someone who is voluntarily underemployed or unemployed.
The child support lawyers at Hirsch & Ehlenberger, P.C. have litigated imputation of income issues throughout Northern Virginia. Our attorneys have litigated both sides of the issue and are familiar with how to fight against an improper imputation.
Our Child Support Services Are Wide-Ranging
An adverse ruling in a child support case can have far-reaching financial ramifications, and such orders can only be modified upon a showing of a material change in circumstances warranting a modification. Loss of employment is one of the most common reasons for parties to seek a reduction in child support.
We also work with clients to get an increase in child support when the client learns the other parent is earning a higher income than when support was last calculated. Additionally, as children age out of work-related child care, modifications are often warranted when the cost of child care was included in the last child support calculation. Modifications are also usually required when a child emancipates, and child support needs to be re-calculated for only the remaining children owed a duty of support.
Our lawyers have regularly litigated enforcement actions, including getting back payments for clients when a parent is not paying their court-ordered child support and assisting parents who have fallen behind in child support to negotiate a settlement to avoid the sanctions that can be imposed by the court when possible.
Connect With A Lawyer Who Understands Your Situation
We represent clients throughout Northern Virginia in various family law matters, including parenting plans and alternative divorce resolutions. Contact our proven child support attorneys today for an initial consultation. Call 703-481-6063 or reach out via the online contact form.