Child Support
Child support will be determined based on the Child Support Guidelines. These child support laws help parents calculate child support according to their annual incomes. While this makes the process straightforward, it also leaves little wiggle room for negotiation. A competent child support lawyer can help explain your rights and entitlements.
Westside Family Law in Vancouver is a team of well-equipped child support lawyers ready to help your family understand its rights and obligations. Whether you are in the midst of a separation or need help modifying or enforcing a child support orders, our child support lawyers can offer insightful guidance on your options and tailor a solution to your particular circumstances.
Child Support Amount
From a legal standpoint, child support laws are fairly straightforward. Child support is a child's right, not the parent's, and a child is entitled to receive child support from both parents after a divorce or separation. If parents share custody relatively equally, they may offset child support according to each person's income. For example, if the mother owes $400 per month in child support and the father $300 per month in child support, the mother would pay the father $100 per month in child support.
Anyone with children knows that the costs of raising a child seemingly never stops. Under Section 7 of the Child Support Guidelines, both parents are expected to pay a proportionate share of "special or extraordinary expenses" in addition to monthly child support. These expenses include:
- Daycare, nanny fees or after-school programs that allow a parent to earn income
- Orthodontic braces and other dental or health care needs beyond the coverage of extended health insurance
- Extracurricular activities like hockey, piano, gymnastics, horse riding or skiing, for example, that are of benefit to a child's development
The nature and scope of these expenses will naturally vary from family to family. What qualifies as a "special expense" in one family may not be in another, depending on the amount of child support paid and the family's lifestyle during the marriage or relationship.
Enforcing Or Modifying Child Support
Change is inevitable as your family moves on after a divorce or separation. If handled correctly, an experienced child support lawyer can draft an agreement or Court order to include a level of flexibility to allow for such changes so you do not need to go to court every time an issue or changed circumstance comes up.
If you need to vary or enforce an existing support agreement or order, Westside Family Law’s Vancouver child support lawyers can do that for you. In most cases, it is simply a matter of getting together with both parties to discuss changes and amend existing terms. In others, it may be necessary to go back to Court if parties cannot agree. Our child support lawyers are equally comfortable managing either scenario. We will do our utmost to obtain solutions that fit your family's new circumstances.
Protecting Your Financial Well-Being
Westside Family Law in Vancouver is well-equipped to help your family understand its rights and obligations about child support. Whether you are in the midst of a separation or need help modifying or enforcing child support orders after the fact, our child support lawyers can offer insightful guidance on your options and tailor a solution to your particular circumstances.
Financial battles between ex-spouses can escalate out of control if they are ignored or improperly managed. Our child support lawyers focus on the future, taking steps to resolve such issues efficiently and effectively for you. Fill out the contact form below to set up a consultation with a Vancouver child support lawyer, or call us at 604-734-7911 to get started.