Buckeye Child Support Attorney

A Buckeye Child Support Attorney can help you to understand your rights and responsibilities during the process of seeking, or having to pay, child support in Maricopa county, Arizona. The Enholm Law, PLLC Buckeye Child Support Attorney assigned to your case will be able to meet with you, in Buckeye, to help evaluate the specific issues involved with your case.

It is the legal duty of every parent to support their adopted or natural children. The purpose of child support is to insure that the child will not suffer now that the parents are no longer living together. Arizona has adopted the Income Shares Model. The state of Arizona also uses the Arizona Child Support Guidelines as the definitive guide for support and uses the Arizona Child Support Calculator to determine how much support should be paid. Under Arizona Revised Statute (ARS) 25-403, the Best Interests of the Child are defined to minimize any further complications arising from their parents no longer living together.

Income Shares Model

Simply defined, the Income Shares Model states that the monetary needs of the child are the main consideration. Child support is calculated combining the income of both parents. There are many other factors that go into figuring child support and the guidelines includes a chart to help determine the amount of support. Support must be paid in money, through clerk of the court that has jurisdiction. Material goods such as clothes or gifts cannot be given in lieu of support.

The Income Shares Model purpose was to ensure the same amount is spent on the child as if the parents are still together. Going over your finances with a Buckeye Child Support Attorney will be a critical part of the initial process.

Arizona Child Support Calculator

To calculate child support, the Maricopa Superior Court generally follows the Arizona Child Support Guidelines. These guidelines further require the use of the Arizona Child Support Calculator. This calculator allows you to enter all the information and gives the parents a child support obligation. You can download a copy of this calculator from the link at the bottom of this article. An Enholm Law, PLLC Buckeye Child Support Attorney can help you fill out this information and to understand the far reaching impact of any decisions that need to be made.

The first information that must be entered is the child name and birth date. This information is important to determine when child support will start and when child support will end.

The second field used to calculate child support is income. The court takes into account your gross income, Court ordered spousal maintenance paid and received, custodial parenting of other children not common to the relationship, and Court-ordered child support from other relationships.

The third field used to calculate child support is Additions. Additions are things such as medical, dental, and vision paid for the parent for the child. Additions also include extra education expense such as tuition for a charter school, daycare for a minor child, and extraordinary expenses that would be used for a handicapped or gifted child.

The fourth field used to calculate child support is Obligations. The primary item to remember is the number of days adjustment. This section generally will only be filled out if the parents are not using an equal parenting time schedule.

Establishing Child Support

A court order is the only way to establish child support amount in Arizona. A formal request must be filed to establish support following establishing custody. Both parents’ incomes are used to calculate the amount of child support that the noncustodial parent will pay to the other household to financially support the children. A Buckeye Child Support Attorney can aid in the process of getting this order filed while maximizing your strengths and minimizing the areas you struggle with.

Payment of Child Support

The order to pay child support has to be signed by the judge and specify:

The amount of child support
Who will pay whom
When are the payments due
When to begin paying

An order called “order of Assignment” may be filed and a copy sent to the paying parent employer directing the employer to withhold the support amount. The courts in Arizona recommend that the child support payments will not be sent from one parent directly to the other but to the “Support Payment Clearinghouse”. If paid directly there is usually no record of the payment, while paying through the “clearinghouse” will ensure proper record keeping. Call an Enholm Law, PLLC Buckeye Child Support Attorney for a consultation to help you understand your role in the child support process.

Enforcement of Child Support Payment

Payments of child support should be made on a monthly basis and on the time specified in the child support order. If you are in need of someone to aid you in the enforcement orders of Assignment that are already in place, an Enholm Law, PLLC Buckeye Child Support Attorney can help. If payments are not made on time there are a few options:

Court action which can result in jail time
Liens against personal property and cars
Suspension of license (drivers, professional)
Interception of tax refunds
Seizure of bank accounts
Passport denial
Unemployment insurance payment intercepted
Worker’s compensation intercepted

Working with a Buckeye Child Support Attorney

Your first interaction with an Enholm Law, PLLC Buckeye Child Support Attorney will be a consultation. This will help you and your attorney outline your needs and devise a specific plan suited to your individual circumstances. You will also outline the important facts and legal issues of your case. Your Attorney and you will then meet to discuss the documents that have been drafted and the evidence that has been compiled.

What to expect from Enholm Law, PLLC

An Enholm Law, PLLC Buckeye Child Support Attorney will maintain constant communication with you. We always provide bi-weekly calls about your case and return your calls within 24 hours. We define clear fee structure on either an hourly basis or using a flat fee model during the initial meeting. You can expect to have a comprehensive plan that both you and your attorney have worked out that can be adjusted as needed as evidence and issues are revealed. You can also expect a high level of competency from our attorneys. Finally, even though our main office is in Phoenix, our attorneys meet with clients in our Buckeye satellite office several times a week so you can schedule meetings in your local area.

To arrange for your consultation, please call (602) 889-6273 and schedule a meeting with an Enholm Law, PLLC Buckeye Child Support Attorney today.

Buckeye Child Support Attorney