Clarksville Child Support Attorney
Helping Parents in Tennessee Receive Fair Child Support Decisions
Whenever a family law case involves children, you can bet the court will consider the issue of child support. Child support often comes up in divorce cases or actions to establish paternity. Whenever child support is an issue on the table, it’s important for everyone involved to have help from a family law attorney to ensure a fair result.
If you are involved in a family law case that includes child support, you shouldn’t wait to seek legal representation you can trust. Contact attorney Ryan K. McFarland at McFarland Law in Clarksville right away.
Child Support Requirements
Tennessee law requires both legal parents to provide financial support for their child. When two parents are not married or are divorcing, certain factors may result in a court order for one parent to pay child support to the other parent. Generally speaking, the parent who most often lives with and directly cares for the child will be the one receiving the child support.
Child support should never be an arbitrary determination by the courts. Instead, state law sets out specific guidelines for these decisions that consider the income of the parties and the payment of certain child related expenses. Only in certain situations involving unique circumstances - such as a very wealthy parent - may the court stray from the guidelines.
The formula to calculate child support is complicated, however, and you want to ensure the court takes all qualified income and expenses into consideration. If not, you can receive a child support decision that is unfair, which may mean you have to pay more than you should, or you will not receive as much support as you should. An experienced family law attorney can help protect your rights during a child support case.
For example, in some situations, one parent may stay underemployed or unemployed to try to reduce or avoid child support payments they have to make. When representing the recipient of support, we can argue that the court should impute a certain amount of income to the other parent to ensure a fair determination results.
Other Support for Your Child
Monthly child support payments may not be the only obligations that a parent may have. While child support provides for a child’s basic needs, a parenting plan can include decisions on how parents will split the cost of extra expenses for the child. This can include contributing toward the following and more:
-
Medical expenses
-
Private school, college, or other educational expenses
-
Sports and extracurricular activities
-
Special needs of the child
You should always have a knowledgeable attorney by your side when agreeing to a parenting plan to ensure you the provisions of the plan are just for both you and your child.
Contact a Clarksville Child Support Lawyer for the Help You Need Today
McFarland Law is a dedicated family law firm handling child support cases, among many others, throughout Montgomery County. If you have a child support case or concern, please fill out our online contact form or call 931-919-4376 to discuss how our law firm can assist you.