Roseville Child Support Attorney

The well-being of children is one of the most sensitive areas of family law. Parents may not know how much to request or pay for child support. The courts seek to formulate a solution that takes the child’s best interests as the main priority. If you are in need of child support assistance, a Roseville child support attorney at the Law Office of Sara S. Thompson, PC can help.

Understanding California Child Support Laws

ROSEVILLE CHILD SUPPORT ATTORNEY – A request to establish or modify child support can be brought by either party as part of a divorce, legal separation, or annulment, a Petition to Establish Parental Relationship (unmarried parents), a domestic violence restraining order, or a Petition for Custody and Support of Minor Children (parents who have signed a voluntary Declaration of Paternity or are married, or registered domestic partners and do not want to get legally separated or divorced).

California law requires both parents to financially support their minor child(ren), both biological and adopted. Child support is the obligation owed on behalf of a child. Child support obligations arise whether or not the child’s parents are or were married. Furthermore, in some circumstances, someone other than the biological parent may be required to pay child support.

Child Support Determinations

Child support is generally owed until the child is 18. However, if a child has reached the age of 18 and is still in high school, the duty to provide support continues until the child has graduated from high school or reached the age of 19, whichever occurs first. The obligation to pay support may continue in order to provide for a disabled adult child if that child cannot support him or herself.

Typically, your child support figure is determined by using a software program. After inputting specific information into the software program, it calculates what is called “guideline” child support. The guideline child support amount is presumed to be correct, and the judge can only deviate from this amount in special circumstances.

Guideline support is calculated by applying the income of each party, how much time each parent spends with the child, tax filing status, support of children from other relationships, health insurance expenses, and other factors.

The parties may agree to a child support amount other than the guideline. However, a judicial officer must approve your agreement.

When you are looking to modify your child support obligations, it is important to remember that all prior court orders remain in effect until there is a new order from the Court. This means you have to pay the court-ordered amount for child support until the Court sets a new amount to be paid.

Child Support Add-Ons and Reimbursements

Court-ordered child support often involves more than just the monthly guideline amounts in Roseville cases. California law permits courts to order parents to pay additional child support, called add-ons, when the actual costs of raising your child fall outside of guideline parameters.

Courts shall order additional child support under California Family Code §4062 when the child incurs certain expenses. The two most common mandatory add-ons are work-related childcare expenses and reasonable uninsured health care costs, like copays/deductibles, therapy, or prescriptions not covered by insurance.

Under the same code, Courts have discretion to award discretionary add-ons.These costs can include costs related to educational or other special needs of the children or travel expenses for visitation.

Child Support Add-Ons in Practice

Your court order should state the percentage each parent is responsible for when it comes to add-ons. When possible, some parents prefer to estimate their yearly add-on costs and pay them along with base child support each month. More commonly, however, parents pay for an add-on when it comes due and seek reimbursement from the other parent.

Local Considerations

Child support orders are prevalent and strictly enforced in Placer County. As of December 2022 a court-ordered support requirement is in effect in around 95.8% of Placer County child support cases, according to data from the California Department of Child Support Services.

Approximately 72.7% of those cases involve the effective collection of current child support, while approximately 53.9% involve the collection of past-due support (arrears). These numbers demonstrate how regularly child support obligations are created and tracked locally, highlighting the significance of precise directives and appropriate paperwork from the start.

Child support matters for Roseville families are handled through the Placer County Superior Court, with proceedings commonly taking place at 10820 Justice Center Drive, Roseville, CA 95678.

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When you hire a child support attorney, they can help you understand which expenses qualify as add-ons, how much each parent should pay, and how to word your reimbursement provision to minimize problems later.

Serving Roseville and other Placer County cities, the Law Office of Sara S. Thompson, PC helps clients with family law issues using a calm, client-forward approach. Preparation, communication, and calm leadership remain her touchstones.

Reach Out to the Law Office of Sara S. Thompson, PC Today If you need to establish child support or modify an existing child support order, contact the Law Office of Sara S. Thompson, PC, a Roseville child support attorney.