Cherokee County Child Support Lawyer

When parents decide to separate or divorce, it’s essential to determine who will be responsible for financially supporting their shared children. While state law establishes a formula for calculating a parent’s child support obligations, many different factors may justify deviating from the initial formula number.

Understanding how this process might play out for you and your children may require professional guidance from a well-versed Cherokee County child support lawyer. The knowledgeable family law attorneys at our firm have handled child support matters before and can help you anticipate what obligations you and your former partner can expect based on your unique circumstances.

The Child Support Formula in Cherokee County

The first step to calculating child support obligations is to determine each parent’s gross income, which includes regular wages, earnings on commission or through self-employment, income from investments and retirement accounts, and even disability payments. Importantly, if a parent quits a high-paying job in bad faith and attempts to lower their gross income, they may face additional financial consequences.

Once the combined gross income of both parents is established, their baseline child support obligations would be roughly proportional to the percentage of total income they are responsible for. For example, if one parent makes twice as much income as the other, the higher-earning parent would be financially responsible for two-thirds of their children’s needs.

What Factors Could Impact a Parent’s Support Obligations?

The total amount of support either parent must provide varies depending on the number of children they share, in addition to numerous other factors. A qualified attorney can help parents estimate their projected child support obligations based on their current income and the state formula.

Other factors that may result in deviations from the standard child support formula include:

  • Special court-approved expenses for activities that are in a child’s best interests (i.e. music lessons or sports);
  • Additional medical expenses related to a child’s unique physical or emotional needs;
  • The combined gross income of both parents being extremely high in value;
  • The noncustodial parent’s income being below minimum wage; and
  • Expenses related to increased parenting time or joint physical custody.

Deviations defined by the state’s child support guidelines, based on these and other factors, can only be formalized through a court order. A dedicated lawyer in Cherokee County can help you argue for or against proposed child support arrangements based on your children’s best interests.

Seek Guidance from a Cherokee County Child Support Attorney

While state law does provide a basic child support formula for calculating a parent’s financial obligations, that doesn’t mean it’s easy in every case. Especially if the child in your custody has special needs that standardized child support would not cover, you should work with experienced legal counsel to ensure the court grants you the support you need.

No matter your situation, representation from a Cherokee County child support lawyer can make this process much more straightforward. Let a member of our diligent legal team help you pursue a favorable resolution to your child support case. Call our firm today to set up a confidential consultation and start discussing your circumstances.

Recent Blog Posts
Parenting With a Narcissist After a Divorce
When you divorce a narcissist, you are probably eager to put the drama and craziness behind you. If you...
How To Overcome Narcissistic Abuse
Marriage to a narcissist can leave you feeling shamed, worthless, and disempowered. Even when you recognize that your spouse...
What to Expect When Divorcing a Narcissist
It is tough to be married to a narcissist, but divorcing one is not easy either. Even when the...
View All Posts
N/A

Atlanta Divorce Law Group

Sara Khaki
Our Locations