You might have been earning a great income throughout the course of your marriage. As such, when a divorce court made its determination on your child support, the amount of your obligation likely reflected your high income. These days, however, financial times are tougher. A lot of New York residents have yet to fully recover from the Great Recession, and you might not be earning the same amount that you were before.
Whether you got laid off and had to take a lower paying job, or your business just isn’t earning as much as it used to, you may be able to apply for a child support modification. If successful in your appeal, a New York family law court might rule for the reduction of your monthly child support obligation to make it more affordable.
Keep this in mind if you need a child support modification
Whether you’re a father or a mother, if you’re having trouble affording your child support modifications, keep the following child support modification advice in mind:
- Take action as quickly as possible: The longer you wait, the harder it will be to dig yourself out of the financial hole created by paying an unaffordable amount of child support. Unpaid child support will always haunt you — it can’t be dissolved through bankruptcy, and legal consequences will plague you when you get behind. It’s best to take action now before it’s too late.
- Talk to the other parent of your children: You’d be surprised at how many exes will understand that you’re not earning as much as you used to. Remember, you were once married to this person and he or she may be understanding, and willing to explore an out-of-court agreement in the interest of saving money, time and headache relating to your current financial circumstances.
Want to learn more about child support modifications?
If you’re curious to learn more about child support modification requirements, you’re on the right track. In order to prevail in your request to reduce your child support amount, be sure to learn as much as you can about what’s necessary to succeed in your application. You will especially want to find out what constitutes as a “substantial change in circumstances” and whether your change in circumstances is sufficient to get your child support reduced.