They say the only thing that is constant is change… if you
wonder how long that has been talked about you might be interested to know it
is from Heraclitus of Ephesus, (535 BC – 475 BC) he was a Greek philosopher,
known for his doctrine of change being central to the universe, and for
establishing the term Logos in Western philosophy as meaning both the source
and fundamental order of the Cosmos.
Has your world changed? Do you need to revisit what seemed
like a fair settlement a few years (or months) ago? Change can be brought on by
a decrease in income… different job, layoff or increased expenses or a change
in health status. Part of that could
apply to both yourself and your child or children. Any change that would affect
you as a couple can be the starting point to use mediation to revisit your
support payments (alimony) or payments to your children.
Child support can be modifiable. This includes prior orders
for child support under a previous divorce, paternity case, or any support
order established by the decrees or rulings. You can never designate child
support as un-modifiable. Any time a parent establishes the basic requirements
for modification, that parent may file a petition for modification of child
support.
The most common reason for a change in child support is a
change in income. The change can be upward or downward and may
involve either the parent paying child support, or the parent receiving child
support. There is no absolute amount the income must change before filing for
modification.
Certain changes in child related expenses could justify
changes in child support. A couple of the more common changes:
Daycare as an example – When daycare expenses have been
incorporated into child support, any change in daycare can serve as a reason to
modify support. Or if one parent experiences trouble sharing the cost of
needed-daycare, they can address that problem by asking for the cost to be
included in child support. An important requirement is for the daycare to be
related to employment needs.
Health Insurance for Child or Parent – Most child support
calculations include the cost of health insurance for the children. Each parent
pays for that insurance in a proportion equivalent to his or her net income.
There may be a need to file for child support modification when health
insurance premiums change.
Each new year might be an excellent time to consider if your support is doing the job you intended it to do.
At WHYmediate?, Find out why mediation will allow you to resolve
many different types of conflicts in a positive learning environment that
covers how to deal with all the upcoming days in your life.
WHYmediate? Mediation Services
4500 South Lakeshore Drive Suite 300
Tempe, AZ 85282
(480) 777-5500
No comments:
Post a Comment