Child Support

When a divorcing couple has children, decisions need to be made by the parents regarding their children’s wellbeing. Children need to be emotionally supported, of course, but they also need financial support as well.

At Naidu Law, Family law attorneys, we have family lawyers in OKC who are ready and passionate about helping your case. Our dedicated legal team will work hard to ensure that you get the child support you need and deserve.

On the other side of the coin, if you are the non-custodial parent, we’ll work to ensure you aren’t unfairly burdened, while still providing your children with the financial support they need to live a comfortable life.

CHILD SUPPORT GUIDELINES

Like most states, Oklahoma has specific rules regarding child support. These guidelines are used to calculate the amount of child support the non-custodial parent is required to pay.

Child support is calculated based on the parent’s gross income. It can be based on monthly income or weekly income. The guidelines look at the percentage of income each parent brings into the household as well as the number of children involved. The guidelines also account for medical and dental insurance costs and the costs of childcare.

These child support guidelines are based on a parent who has between 70 and 90 visits with his or her children per year. If the non-custodial parent has the child over for more than 120 nights per year, the arrangement is called “shared parenting.” This means that the parent is doing more to care for the children, and the child support payments can be lowered accordingly.

Our divorce lawyers in OKC can review the arrangements you have with your spouse and ensure that your financial arrangements are fair. We are happy to advocate on your behalf.

EXCEEDING THE CHILD SUPPORT GUIDELINES

Oklahoma’s child support guidelines provide for support all the way up to $15,000 per month in combined income depending on situational factors. If you and your spouse have a higher monthly income, the difference in income may be used to determine an additional child support payment.

There is no set guideline for determining child support in that situation. Instead, the court will make the decision based on the child’s needs, lifestyle, and the parent’s ability to pay. Each parent’s contributions to the overall gross monthly income are also considered.

The court can decide to award a child support amount that is different from the child support schedule. The court can only do that if making the change is in the child’s best interests.

HOW LONG DOES CHILD SUPPORT LAST?

Child support lasts until the child reaches 18 years old unless the child is still enrolled in high school. In this case, the child support continues until graduation or until the child turns 19.

You can request that child support be recalculated if there is a substantial change in circumstances. This could be a significant change in income or in living arrangements.

SUPPORTING YOU

Our family lawyers in OKC are ready and happy to assist you, providing high quality representation and legal support when you need it most. Our team will work tirelessly to ensure your child support arrangements are fair, and that your rights are honored.

At Naidu Law, Family law attorneys, we can handle all your divorce arrangements or just certain aspects of your divorce in an arrangement called limited scope or unbundled representation.