When you have a child, you are responsible for supporting that child until he or she becomes an adult. This means providing both financial support and emotional support as your child grows. Being a parent is not easy, especially when the relationship turns sour. Separation often leads to child custody disputes and child support concerns. With divorce a very harsh reality, California has many laws governing child support that are meant to ensure that children’s basic needs are met. This article will discuss what to know about child support in California.
What Are Child Support Payments?
Child Support is a monthly payment that one parent makes to the other parent for their child’s financial support. It is usually ordered by the court when parents are divorced, or when at least one parent has physical custody of the children. Many factors go into child support, including how much money each parent earns and whether there are other children from another relationship involved.
Consequences for Non-payment of Support
Child support is not something to be taken lightly. In the state of California, if a custodial parent is awarded child support and the other parent fails to pay as ordered, there are serious repercussions. The court may confiscate tax refunds, can ask the person’s employer to deduct from the wages directly, add a penalty to the unpaid amount, and confiscate their professional or driver’s license. The court can even issue an arrest warrant.
Parenting Time and Child Support Are Not Correlated
Visitation (or parenting time) is for the non-custodial parent to have access to their children so that they can maintain an active role in their life. However, the custodial parent has the right to make major decisions regarding a minor child’s welfare and includes the authority to determine where a child will live, attend school, and what religion that child will practice if any. If for some valid reason they don’t allow the other parent visitation time, then they cannot use child support payments as a weapon or bargaining chip to punish the other parent.
When Does Child Support Gets Terminated?
Many people have the misconception that child support ends when the child becomes an adult. This is not true. Child support ends when a child turns 19 or graduates from high school, whichever comes earlier. In some situations, support will end if they decide to enter the military, get married, gets adopted by someone else, or gets legally emancipated.
Get the Best Child Support Lawyers Today
The law in California can be tricky to figure out on your own. This is where our child support attorneys with their rich experience can help. They are aware of the various complications that may arise in child support planning, and work hard to help protect your and your child’s interests. If you’re looking for a general practice firm in Chico, CA, you can get in touch with us today at Marquez Law Offices.
