Anne Arundel County Child Support Attorney
When you contact an Ann Arundel County child support attorney from Divorce With a Plan, there’s an undeniable truth – children need support – whether it is financial or emotional.
Having a child support attorney to help with your situation is essential when it comes to ensuring that children receive the right amount of financial support to ensure their well-being and care. If you are seeking child support from your child’s non-custodial parent or have to pay it, be sure that you understand the legal aspects of child support in Maryland.
Overview of What an Anne Arundel County Child Support Attorney Does
An Anne Arundel County, MD child support lawyer works to organize child support payments, determine and clarify the terms of child support orders, and enforce visitation periods and custody agreements. They will also enter negotiations for their clients and provide support throughout the court process.
Legal Definition and Important Laws Regarding Child Support in MD
In child support cases, both parents have to submit detailed financial statements that will be examined by the Court. The numbers that are derived from these are then applied to the guidelines that were established in 1990 by the state (it’s worth noting that these have been amended and updated by the Legislature through the years).
It’s possible for child support to be ordered on a pendente lite basis in Maryland. It means “pending litigation” if you are going through a divorce. It can also be ordered permanently if your case is concluded. Modifications for child support orders can be made if the court is provided proof of a material change of circumstances. This includes a child emancipating, the involuntary loss of a job, and more.
In the state of Maryland, child support payments are made to the “custodial parent.” This is the parent who has primary custody of the children and whom the children reside with for most of the time.
The non-custodial parent is the one that resides with the children for under 25% of the year. However, even if custody is shared, there could be child support obligations from one parent to another based on the calculations used by the state.
Obligations for child support will end when a child is emancipated, which usually occurs when the child reaches age 18. If the child is still in high school when they turn 18, then emancipation occurs after they graduate.
Related to taxes and income, the parent who is paying child support is not allowed to deduct these from their taxes. Child support is not considered income for the custodial parent who is receiving the payments.
What Percentage is Child Support in Maryland?
Child support payments can be determined by mutual support agreements between the parents, or they can be determined through a child support order from the Maryland family court. In the state, there are several factors that are considered when determining how much support must be paid. Two methods are used to determine child support amounts in Maryland:
Income Share Method
With this model, the court uses economic tables to determine the average monthly cost to raise the children. Then, the non-custodial parent will pay a percentage of this calculated cost based on their proportional share of the combined income of both parents.
Percentage of Income Method
With this method, a set percentage of the non-custodial parent’s income will be paid each month to the custodial parent for covering basic child support costs. The percentage that is paid may remain the same or it will vary if the income of the non-custodial parent changes.
What is the Average Child Support Payment?
For the basic rate, if you are paying for just one child, then you can expect to pay around 12% of your gross weekly income. For two children, you will pay around 16% of your gross weekly income. If you have three or more children, then you can expect to pay around 19% of your gross weekly income.
How Do I Make Sure My Child Support Payment is Fair?
The goals of the state of Maryland when determining child support payments is to ensure that the best interests of the child are considered, and that the child support being paid is fair to all parties. Some of the factors that determine what is fair include things like:
- Where the child lives most of the time
- Both parents’ income
- Cost of the child’s health insurance
- Cost of the child’s daycare
- Other child support obligations the parent has
- Age and number of children that are involved in the case
At What Age Can a Child Refuse Visitation in Maryland?
In most situations, the court will be willing to hear what children want or prefer when determining visitation or custody if the child is between 10 and 12 years old. However, the opinions of the child are not the determining factors when determining which parent receives full custody or the visitation schedule.
How a Child Support Lawyer from Divorce With a Plan Can Help You
When it comes to child support, there’s no question that the laws can be confusing. It is best to invest in the services of our attorneys to ensure that you understand the law and your rights.
While the thought of hiring a lawyer may seem daunting, we can help with your case and help you receive a desirable outcome to your situation. Our team has years of experience handling cases similar to yours and will help to ensure you understand your rights and responsibilities. We will also help to protect you from unfair child support terms while ensuring that your children get the support that they need.
We understand how intimidating the process can be. Don’t worry, we are here to help. You can feel confident that when you contact our legal team you will receive the quality legal services that you want, need, and deserve. Contact us today to learn more about the services that we offer. Contact an Anne Arundel County child support attorney from Divorce With a Plan today to get in touch regarding your case.