Guiding Clients To A Fair Child Support Agreement
Child support is an obligation every parent owes to their child. Whether the parents were ever married or not, our attorneys can ensure your child receives what North Carolina requires. To help ensure your child has what they require to meet their reasonable needs while also protecting yourself from unjust award, you deserve a compassionate family law attorney to represent your best interests.
At Stauff & Gross, PLLC in Raleigh, we know the importance of this and any other family law matter. Our goal at our law firm is to provide the guidance our community needs through the challenges of their divorce and other family law needs, and we have the skill and experience to pursue that goal.
What You Should Know About Child Support
North Carolina’s child support guidelines dictate how much parents owe (or are owed) in child support based on factors like the parents’ monthly income, their responsibility for other minor children and other expenses like health care premiums and work-related child care payments.
It is possible for child support calculations to deviate from these guidelines in certain circumstances. Investing in a family law attorney’s counsel can help to secure your child – or children’s – financial well-being.
Frequently Asked Questions About Child Support In Raleigh
Our Raleigh family law attorneys answer common questions about child support calculations, enforcement and modifications in North Carolina.
What should I do if the other parent is not paying child support?
North Carolina provides several enforcement mechanisms when parents fail to meet their child support obligations. You can file a motion for civil or criminal contempt in the court that issued your child support order, potentially resulting in fines or jail time for the nonpaying parent. There are additional remedies that could be available depending on the circumstances, including wage garnishment, intercepting tax refunds, suspending driver’s licenses and professional licenses, reporting delinquencies to credit bureaus, and placing liens on property.
You may also pursue criminal nonsupport charges in cases of willful and prolonged failure to pay. Our Raleigh attorneys can evaluate your situation, determine which enforcement options best suit your circumstances and file the necessary motions to compel payment.
Can child support be paid directly to the child once they reach a certain age?
No, child support payments in North Carolina must continue flowing through the custodial parent or legal guardian rather than directly to the child, regardless of the child’s age. Support obligations typically continue until the children reach the age of 18 or graduate from high school, whichever occurs later, with payments always directed to the parent or other legal guardian receiving child support per the court order.
Even when teenagers approach adulthood, North Carolina law recognizes that custodial parents bear the responsibility for housing, feeding, and supporting minor children. Direct payments to children create accounting problems, complicate enforcement efforts, and undermine the legal framework supporting custodial parents who manage household expenses. If you believe your teenager should receive funds directly, you must wait until support obligations terminate when they reach the age of majority and complete high school.
What if I disagree with the child support amount calculated by North Carolina’s child support guidelines?
You can request a deviation from North Carolina’s child support guidelines when specific circumstances make the calculated amount unjust or inappropriate. Valid reasons for deviation include extraordinary expenses for the child’s special needs or education, significantly unequal custody arrangements not reflected in standard calculations, substantial differences in parents’ ability to maintain similar living standards for the child, and situations where the guideline amount would be inequitable based on specific factors. You must present evidence supporting your deviation request, demonstrating why the guideline amount fails to serve your child’s best interests, or creates unfair burdens.
We Are Here For You
If you want to be sure you have someone at your side to help guide you, reach out to us today. Call us at 919-891-8812 or email us here to schedule your initial consultation.