About Child Support And Spousal Support
As you approach the legal aspects of a divorce or separation, you may face the topics of child support and/or spousal support. The two types of support are very different, yet to the payer or the payee, there will be a similarly significant effect in either area.
To understand your rights and potential solutions regarding child support and/or spousal support, consult with a communicative, experienced family law attorney. At Moreton & Edrington, we pride ourselves in our open, honest attorney-client relationships. You can count on clear explanations and effective representation in your child support and/or spousal support case.
Determining Child Support
In the eyes of the law, parents are expected to care for their children regardless of their marital status. You may be a single parent-to-be, a single parent, a soon-to-be-divorced parent or a parent in a troubled marriage. Regardless of your personal and family circumstances, your need to know the truth.
Arriving at child support amounts that will translate to a court order involves consideration of various factors, including:
- How much income and how many expenses each parent has
- How much time the child will spend with each parent
Determining Whether, And How Much, Spousal Support Is Appropriate
Spousal support is like child support in that it involves money. Otherwise, the two are very different. For one thing, spousal support is not normally a legal requirement in a divorce or separation. However, family law judges often expect to see it when spouses have been married for a long time and one spouse has been dependent on the other throughout the marriage.
The established standard of living in a marriage is one of the factors that will help determine what amount of spousal support is appropriate. Sometimes a financially dependent spouse’s need is urgent long before the divorce is completed. In such cases, we can ask the court to enter a temporary support order for our divorcing client even before a divorce trial or before a settlement agreement is reached.
Enforcement Of Support Orders
Sometimes, a divorce case has been heard by a family law court and one parent or spouse has been ordered to pay child support and/or spousal support to the other right away. Despite the court order spelling out amounts that one parent or spouse should pay the other, the ordered payer may not comply with the order. If you are the parent or former spouse who has not received ordered child or spousal support, we can help you pursue relief through a variety of legal means of enforcement.
Contact our office for a consultation to discuss your specific needs and concerns. Call us at 703-297-8535 or send an email message to request a meeting with a family law attorney in or around Herndon, Virginia.