Child support is frequently one of the most important divorce-related issues to divorcing spouses, and if you are currently getting divorced and have child support concerns, you need an experienced Memphis, Tennessee child support lawyer on your side. Contact Rice Law today to learn more about how child support works in Tennessee and how our legal team can assist you.
Child Support Lawyer | Helping Clients Through Child Support Matters in Memphis, Tennessee
In arriving at a fair amount of child support, you should (and in the event of a contested trial, the court will) consider the needs of the children and the financial assets, earnings, and needs of each parent. In Tennessee, we use the Child Support Guidelines. If you are facing a matter of child support, it is in your best interests to retain the services of a competent Memphis, Tennessee family law attorney who can help you navigate through each phase of the process.
Understanding Tennessee Child Support Guidelines
Child support in Memphis is set on the basis of a satisfyingly long, complex, and confusing set of regulations. However, the main variables are the parent’s income and the time the parent spends with the children. The income ratio is the biggest factor. Days with children is the next most important. Unlike the previous guidelines, items such as medical expenses, insurance, educational cost, other children are also figured into the formula.
As you might guess, if you try to make everything part of one big calculation, the rules for that calculation are going to be huge (over sixty pages). The state provides downloadable Child Support Worksheets in Excel as well.
How Long Do You Have to Pay Child Support in Tennessee?
The court in TN can require the support of a typical child until the age of eighteen (18) or until the child graduates with his or her regular high school class. You can provide for college, but you must do so by agreement, as the court cannot order it. Tennessee does not require a parent to put a child through college.
If you have a child with a mental or physical disability, be sure to let us know, as it may be possible to have support continue after this child turns eighteen.
Can a Lawyer Help With Child Support?
Hiring a Memphis, Tennessee child support lawyer can make the complex processes much easier to adjust to. Our lawyers will explain child support rights to you and answer questions regarding which situations qualify for child support modifications. Hiring a lawyer may also help the custodial parent recoup child support that has not been paid for by the supporting parent.
Issues regarding child support can be complicated, which is why our law firm can make things easier to understand by thoroughly explaining the rules and regulations involved with enforcing child support orders.
Changes to the Parent’s Circumstances – How to Modify Child Support in Tennessee
If the children’s needs or the parent’s ability to pay support substantially and materially changes (defined by the Guidelines as 15 percent), then child support can be raised or lowered. Child support, and sometimes alimony, can be assigned out of the paycheck of the person who is paying it.
A bond can be required to ensure the payment of past, present, and future child support, or a lien may be placed on property for that purpose. The law currently places a lot of pressure on the court to use payroll deduction.
As with alimony, child support must be reasonable. Enough can be too much. If the custodial parent is awarded enough child support, it may be too much for the noncustodial parent to be able to pay. If this happens, the burden becomes too heavy, and if the ties to the children and to the community are too weak, then the noncustodial parent will leave.
Once a noncustodial parent (parent without child custody) has left the state, it becomes very difficult to enforce child support rulings.
Contact a Memphis, Tennessee Child Support Lawyer
Rice Law can help you understand the complex calculations and strategies behind child support. Reach out to our lawyers for help with your child support cases by calling our law firm at (901) 526-6701 or simply contact us online today.
