Once the divorce or custody/parenting time case is over, every month you are paying or receiving child support. However, there may be circumstances that arise in the future that would make you want to request a modification of child support. Child support can be changed when there has been a substantial change in circumstances. What constitutes a substantial change in circumstances?

A change in income is the most common reason to request a change in your child support amount. Since the child support calculator is based upon the incomes of both parties, a change to either party’s income could change the calculator. If your income has gone down significantly, and especially if you have lost your job, you are going to want to request a modification of child support right away. If you suspect that the other party’s income may have increased, then you may want to ask for a change in child support. You may not know for sure, if there has been an increase, or how much that increase might be. In that instance, you may want to talk with an attorney about the risks and rewards of pursuing a modification when you don’t know.

If you or the other party has remarried that DOES NOT affect child support. Only you and the other parent’s income are put into the child support calculator. However, if either party has a new child it does affect the child support calculator and would change child support.

Daycare changes may be a reason to request a change in child support. When daycare costs go down or end, there may be a drastic difference in how much child support will be if the daycare costs were put into the child support calculator in the original order.

Overnights with the children are another reason that child support should change over time. If you are not following the parenting plan that the original child support order was based upon, it may mean that child support could be modified. And obviously, if custody changes from one parent to the other, child support would be changed.

Parts of a child support order that also could be addressed are health insurance costs and who pays for health insurance and non payment of unreimbursed medical expenses.

This article list many of the reasons that one party might request a modification of child support. There may also be other reasons. If you suspect that your child support should be modified we are happy to discuss your options with you.