Even after a divorce, it goes without saying that you still want to be a great parent. This can mean many things, such as paying your child support in full and on time every month.
If you find that you are unable to make your full child support payment and have reason to believe that this will continue, it’s time to think about requesting a modification.
There is more to requesting a child support modification than simply telling the court that you are unable to make your payment in full. You need to have a change in circumstances that backs up your request.
If the time comes to request a child support modification, here are four things you should do:
— Act now, not later. You must stay current with your payments until a modification is granted. This is why you need to act quickly.
— Reach out to the other parent. You may be able to avoid the court by discussing your situation with the other parent. The court will have to approve the change, but at least you can work out the finer details on your own.
— Do your best to keep up. Even if you are unable to make your payments in full, you should try to keep up to the best of your ability.
— Keep notes with regard to your change in circumstances. If you lost a job or have been diagnosed with a serious illness, you should collect proof that can back up your modification request.
Finally, you need to make your request with the court that issued your order in the first place. As noted above, this is something that you should do as quickly as possible, as there is no good reason to delay.
In a perfect world, you would be able to make your child support payments in full every month. You would never have to worry about struggling to do so. Unfortunately, you could find yourself facing a challenge at some point down the road.
If you have reason to believe that your struggles will last, you should look into requesting a child support modification. This could give you the breathing room you need for the time being.