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Columbia Child Support Lawyer

Columbia Child Support Lawyer

Columbia Child Support Attorney

If you are thinking about filing for divorce in Columbia, Maryland and have minor children from the marriage, it is important to think carefully about child support and the financial obligation that parents have to support their children regardless of whether they remain married to one another. In some situations, questions may exist concerning paternity, and it may be necessary to establish paternity in order to ensure that the child’s biological father provides financial support. In other cases, a child support order may already be in effect, but a job loss or other significant change in circumstances might mean that you want to modify the child support order.

An experienced Columbia child support lawyer at our firm can discuss your situation with you today.

Calculating Child Support in Howard County

Like other states, Maryland has child support guidelines that are used by the courts to determine the amount of the child support obligation. When parents share physical custody, which means that each parent has the child for overnights for at least 35 percent of the year (or 127 overnights), then physical custody is taken into consideration when determining the parents’ child support obligation. To be clear, in order to calculate the child support obligation, the court must know whether there is:

  • Sole physical custody with a custodial parent and a non-custodial parent with visitation; or
  • Shared physical custody.

Then, in order to determine what the specific child support obligation is, the court looks at the parents’ incomes and the number of children. The court can also take into account alimony or spousal support paid by one parent to the other parent, benefits received by either parent (such as Social Security Disability benefits), the costs associated with health insurance or other health expenses for the child that are not covered by the health insurance, and any childcare expenses.

Child Support Issues We Help Families Handle in Columbia

At the Law Offices of Todd K. Mohink, PA, we regularly assist clients with many different issues involving child support, including but limited to:

  • Determining the child support obligation;
  • Modifying a child support order;
  • Child support collections; and/or
  • Establishing paternity in order to secure child support for a minor child.

Modifying Columbia Child Support

It is important for parents to know that child support amounts are determined by the guidelines and cannot be modified because one parent makes a major purchase for the child. However, if one or both of the parents’ circumstances have changed significantly, or if there has been a modification to a child custody order, it may be appropriate to modify a child support order. For example, some of the following might be reason for a modification:

  • Change in a parent’s income;
  • Change in the cost of healthcare premiums for the child; or
  • Change in the physical custody arrangement.

Contact a Child Support Lawyer in Columbia

If you need assistance with a child support case, a dedicated Howard County child support attorney can help. Contact the Law Offices of Todd K. Mohink, PA online or by calling us at 410-766-0113.

Testimonials

Anne Arundel County

Empire Towers
7310 Ritchie Highway, Suite 910
Glen Burnie, MD 21061

Phone: 410-766-0113

Fax: 410-766-0270

Howard County On the grounds of Columbia Mall

30 Corporate Center
10440 Little Patuxent Parkway,
Suite 900
Columbia, MD 21044

Phone: 410-964-0050

Baltimore County (Arbutus/Catonsville)

Phone: 410-719-7377

Fax: 410-766-0270