California law recognizes that every child is entitled to financial support from both of their parents. Child support is a payment made from one parent to the other parent to ensure the child’s basic needs are met and also that the child enjoys the same lifestyle that he or she would have had if the parents lived together. The Law Office of Peter Tuann can help you to establish, enforce, and modify child support orders.
Mandatory Child Support Formula
California law uses a statutory formula to determine the appropriate amount of child support that should be ordered. This formula calculates the amount of support based on the following:
- Each parent’s income
- Number of children
- Amount of time the high earner spends with the child
California uses the “net monthly disposable income” of each parent to determine the child support amount, which is calculated by deducting the following expenses from the parent’s gross income:
- Federal and state income tax deductions
- FICA deductions
- Deductions for mandatory union dues and retirement benefits
- Deductions for health insurance or health plan premiums
- Deductions for state disability insurance premiums
- Child or spousal support currently being paid from an existing court order for another person not subject to the current order
- Job-related expenses
- A hardship deduction, if applicable
Even though this formula is in place to help prevent litigation regarding child support, there are still many issues that may be contested in these cases. The parents may disagree about the amount of income of each parent or the amount of parenting time. Our legal team will conduct discovery to get the necessary evidence to establish the appropriate amount of child support and will protect you from having an unfair order made in your case.
Enforcing Child Support
If the non-custodial parent is not meeting their child support obligation, our team can take prompt enforcement action to secure the funds to which you are entitled. We will aggressively pursue enforcement and take advantage of all tools made available by the law to secure the support you need.
Modifying Child Support
Child support orders can be modified if the circumstances that led to the order have changed. For example, there may be grounds to modify a child support order if:
- The non-custodial parent lost their job
- Either parent’s income has increased or decreased
- Parenting time has changed
- The child has moved into the non-custodial parent’s home
- The child has moved away
- The child has special healthcare needs
Our California child support attorney is highly experienced in getting child support reduced or increased, depending on the client’s circumstances. We can assist you with seeking and achieving a child support modification.
Contact Our Firm to Get Started
If you would like to learn more about the child support system in California or you need help with establishing or challenging child support, we are here to help. The Law Office of Peter Tuann is dedicated to protecting our client’s interests. Peter Tuann has more than 25 years of litigation experience he will put to use to fight for your desired outcome. Call us today at (925) 824-3118 to schedule a confidential consultation.