Let’s face it, unless a divorce is a non-acrimonious one, it’s difficult to manage it without a Child Support Lawyers. When you are getting into a divorce proceeding or legal separation, one of the main concerns that you have is the support that the children will get after the process is completed.
Depending on the relationship that you had with your spouse and the number of children that you have that will be needing support, there may be a need for you to hire child support lawyers for fathers and mothers. You should consider several things before you seek child support advice. Once you get this advice, you will see the advantages of hiring a child support attorney.
If you plan to employ such child support specialists, you will have to keep in mind that your costs will go up. Ideally, you should see eye to eye with your former partner. While your marriage has been broken irreparably, this does not necessarily mean that your split has to be harsh on your children.
It’s all about the children
If your former partner shares your concern for the kids, you can amicably come up with a child support agreement that you can both be happy with.
In such situations, you draft a legally binding contract that can be enforced in court. The best part? You do not have to hire a child support lawyer for fathers or mothers. Instead, you just skip all the high costs involved in retaining specialists. Unfortunately, this is not always an option.
If your separation is particularly contentious or there are certain disputes not necessarily involving children or support but marital property, you may have to get the help of lawyers.
Some things to consider before hiring child support lawyers
You have to assess how complicated your case is. The more difficult your case, the higher the chance that it’s going to be more expensive. The general rule of thumb is, the longer it takes to resolve child support issues, the more money you will be charged. After all, child support lawyers charge by the hour.
The average legal bill for the typical lawyer in many states ranges from $100 to $300 per hour. For instance, you may be engaging in interstate or intercountry custody battle, and it will be challenging to represent yourself in these situations because of all the legal issues and financial considerations involved. In such a complicated case, it would probably be a good idea to hire a child support agency.
You also have to take note of the specific custody in child support laws where you live. While technically, you can do things on your own, you may conflict with the laws by failing to take advantage of rights and privileges that you were unaware of.
On the other hand, you may be under specific duties imposed by state laws, and if you violate these, you may put yourself at a disadvantage when it comes to child support. You should also factor in your financial standing. Hiring a child support lawyer will cost you money, time, and resources.
However, if you look at your whole situation and you figured out that, it will be too costly for you to get the services of an expert; you still have to keep in mind that many non-profit charitable organizations are offering free legal aid. Depending on where you live, you might have a lot more choices when it comes to free legal resources.
DOWNLOAD OUR FREE CHILD SUPPORT CHECKLIST
>> Checklist for Paying Child Support <<
What are the advantages of hiring a specialist?
What are the benefits of hiring lawyers that specialize in child support negotiation and litigation? Even when spouses can settle amicably or agree in precise terms of child support, the laws can vary widely from state to state. They can be traps for the unwary. In other words, they may be tough to navigate without the expert help of an experienced child support agency.
If you are thinking of hiring one, you need to be guided as to the following:
- Legal establishment of paternity
- The filing of all documentary requirements for child support
- Getting a court order for the terms of payment for child support
- Seeking amendments to a child support agreement currently enforced
- Setting up the methods for child support payments
- The actual collection of child support
Keep the mentioned factors in mind because if you were trying to establish that somebody you did not marry is the biological father of your child, you would have to go through specific legal steps to prove paternity. It is not a simple case of getting that person a DNA test. You have to undergo procedures to ensure that such testing will be considered valid by a court of laws.
There are cases when disputes may arise in child support, and in such situations, the services of child support lawyers will be most appropriate.
Areas Child Support Lawyers can help you
Child support application
The process of applying for child support differs from state to state. It is the child support attorney knows the specific requirements for the state they operate and should lead you
Demanding and recovery of child support arrears
The failure or stoppage of the non-custodial parent to pay as ay when due may be difficult to demand. The attorneys know how they make this a breeze and get the payments including arrears.
Modification of child support agreements
There may be instances when a child support agreement needs modification midway, due to either unforeseen circumstances or other factors. The specialists usually know how to go about this.
Calculating Child Support Payment
Not everyone knows how to calculate child support payments expected from the non-custodial parent or even the right amount to pay if you are the non-custodial parent. A specialist can do this for you and save you expenses
How much will the services of a child support attorney cost you?
On average, a child support attorney will charge $100 to $500 every hour. This figure depends on the state you are living in. For example, if you live in Manhattan, or in Los Angeles, or San Francisco, you probably will be paying the higher end of this hourly scale.
On the other hand, if you live in other parts of the country, you can avail of lower rates. It also depends on how contested the support issue is. If the attorney has to spend a lot more time and effort on your case because the other side is disputing paternity or specific critical points in child support, this can drag on the proceedings as well as negotiations for a much more extended period. The total can come up to $5000 to $25,000 and up.
On top of this, there are also additional costs like paralegal costs, travel expenses, court fees, and of course documentation expenses.
Given these costs, consider looking for pro bono or free legal services. Keep in mind that you have to qualify for such a free service. You must be living below the poverty level, or you must meet some sort of qualifications put up by the charitable organization offering free legal aid.
Here at single-parent.club, part of our website maintains a list of child support lawyers, which we recommend to our readers based on their peculiarities. To take advantage of this and have a recommended attorney that suits your case, CLICK HERE
