Am I owed more child support if my co-parent is self-employed?

On Behalf of | Mar 18, 2019 | Firm News

Calculating child support payments is known to be one of the more straightforward procedures of all family law issues. However, in some circumstances, even this has the potential to become complex, and you may want to take action to modify the child support payments.

If you have primary custody of your child and you are receiving child support from the other parent, the payments that you will be subject to are likely to be based on the reported income of the other parent. If the other parent receives a stable income from a single employer, this should be straightforward. However, if they are self-employed, their reported income might be significantly different from reality. Additionally, their income may shift dramatically from month to month.

The importance of calculating income correctly

If the other parent’s income has not been calculated correctly or has not been updated recently, you could be missing out on substantial quantities of child support that could help your child. It is important that tax returns are used to gain a realistic view of income earned by the parent. In addition, commissions, bonuses, and any type of benefits that the other parent received should not be overlooked.

What can I do if I believe that the other parent is misreporting their income?

If you have a good reason to believe that the other parent of your child is misreporting their income in order to lower their child support obligations, it is important that you do not tolerate this behavior. By acting within your legal rights, you should be able to uncover any income that they are failing to report, and get a realistic picture of their earnings.

Can a person face consequences for hiding their income?

A person may face serious consequences such as fines or being found to be in contempt of court. This should act as a sufficient deterrent for any parent.

If you want to get the child support that you and your child are entitled to, it is important that you do not delay taking action. By being proactive, you should be able to update the child support order more promptly.

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