Maryland child support is an important part of any divorce and can also be an important consideration for unmarried parents to address. Child support provides for the financial support of children and can sometimes be worked out between parents, but the family law court is also able to help guide parents through the sometimes challenging process.
Child support is generally decided based on the income of the parents and the child custody arrangement the parents have. Issues that might come up related to child support during a divorce include child support negotiations; child custody matters that impact child support; child support enforcement for a parent who fails to meet child support obligations; and child support modifications should the need arise. A significant change in circumstances for the child or parents, such as a job loss or increased school or healthcare costs for the child, may result in a child support modification request.
It is essential for parents to keep in mind that they must follow any existing child support order that is in place until the family law court has made any requested change. That means that parents should act promptly if they know that a child support modification is needed. The family law system also provides many different tools to help guide divorced parents through their child support concerns including child support enforcement help.
Child support issues can be challenging but the family law process is available to help. Divorced parents should understand the resources available to them to help address child support concerns from establishing a child support agreement to any changes that come up down the road.