The Nuances Of Child Support

Cases involving children almost always include child support.  Child support is one of those aspects of family law that everyone seems to “know about”.  However, it’s pretty likely that the extent of your knowledge on the matter is actually fairly limited. This article is directed towards those wanting to know more about the nuance of child support.

What is Child Support?

Now, it may seem that the answer to this question is simple, and broadly speaking, yes it is. Child support is the intermittent payment from one parent to the other parent. However, a lot of times, we see people confused as to the driving force or perspectives that influence child support. Most commonly, the paying spouse thinks of child support as payment to the other parent. While this is in a base sense, true, the reality of child support is very different. As a matter of policy, child support payments are for the benefit of the child.

By way of example, the money paid for child support may be for expenses such as food, the child’s share of utility costs, transportation, clothing, etc. Essentially, the money you give to the other parent is supposed to be used for the benefit of your kids. As a result, the paying parent ought to try to focus on the fact that you are helping out the child, rather than thinking of it as being a windfall for the other parent.

How Long Does It Last?

Child support will persist for the period of time in which a child is the responsibility of the parents. By statute, Colorado usually presumes that the appropriate age for termination of child support is 19. Now, this presumption may change due to other circumstances. If, for example, a child will be dependent on receiving help from a parent due to their physical or mental infirmity, it is possible that child support obligations will continue well beyond the child reaching the age of 19. Additionally, the parties may agree to a longer duration if they so choose.

Changing Child Support

Now, if you are feeling that you’re paying too much for child support, you may be right. If it’s been a while since your child support order was entered, you may be able to seek a modification to the amount. In Colorado, you have to demonstrate that any changed circumstances (e.g. changes in income, changes in child-related expenses, changes in parenting time, etc.) are both substantial and continuing. To meet this burden, these circumstances may qualify as being both “substantial and continuing” if, by running the child support guideline calculation, the resulting change is greater than 10%.

Final Thoughts

Child support is rather standard for any case involving children. However, this doesn’t mean that it will be the same for every case. If you have questions about the nuance of child support, changing your obligations, or seeking more help from the other parent, please get in touch with one of our attorneys. We offer free consultations with our team of attorneys, and we’re here to help you with your needs!