Child support payments can be a hotly contested and vitally important part to any divorce agreement, and it’s intimidating to think that you could be potentially stuck with paying a chunk of your income every month to an estranged spouse or significant other for the purpose of raising your child who you may not even see very often. However, the child support payment system is not without control features, and the final agreement may not be permanent for its entire prescribed duration.
Missouri gives parents the ability to modify their child support payment awards for a variety of different circumstances in order to ensure changes in life will not cause severe adverse effects as a result of continuing child support payments. Here are a few reasons why you might want to change your child support plan.
Change in Employment
If you lose your job, your child support obligations may be subject to change, you can file a motion to either reduce or end child support payments altogether. Likewise, if you are paying child support and get a new job that pays you better, your partner may be able to apply for a change requesting more if they feel the previous award was fair considering the circumstances, but not enough to satisfy the needs of the child. However, the actual modification is subject to the judgement of a family court lawyer.
Severe Illness or Injury
If one parent sustains a serious illness or injury that will cause them to both miss work and accrue significant medical bills, a motion can be filed for a modification of child support benefits. More often this is granted if the paying parent is the incapacitated party, rather than the recipient, as their ability to pay is severely limited. A modification like this could also be made permanent if the injured or ill party is found to be permanently disabled and lost the ability to work either fully or partially.
One Estranged Spouse Remarries
If the receiving spouse is able to remarry and bring a secondary income back to their home, most child support agreements can be modified to either end permanently or be significantly reduced, depending on the financial situation of the new home. Many child support agreements will have a clause written into them that allows for all child support agreements to be terminated when one spouse enters into a new marriage.
Whenever you wish to change the status of your child support payments, you should always consult with a legal professional before making any major decisions. The skilled St. Louis family attorneys at the Kallen Law Firm, LLC specialize in family law matters, including St. Louis child support modification and divorce cases. Attorney Craig G. Kallen employs a unique understanding of his clients’ situations, having grown up in a separated household himself. His compassion and understanding has led to numerous satisfied clients and an Avvo® Rating of 9.3 Superb.
If you wish to speak to a legal professional about modifying your child support payments, contact the Kallen Law Firm, LLC online or call their office at (314) 441-7793 today and request a free, confidential consultation for your case.
