If you have lost your job, you may be wondering if you have to continue paying child support. Read on to learn more about loss of employment and child support in New York.
How is Child Support Determined?
Child support is incredibly important when it comes to the well-being of a child. Additionally, both parents have a responsibility to take care of their children financially. As a result, when a New York court makes a decision about child support, they will examine a number of different factors. Some of these factors include:
- The financial resources of each parent
- The financial resources of the child
- The child’s physical and emotional health
- The standard of living enjoyed by the child before the divorce
- The tax consequences of each parent
- The non-monetary contributions of each parent regarding the care of the child
- The educational needs of either parent
- The disparity of the parent’s gross income
- The needs of children outside of the marriage
Can I Stop Paying Child Support if I Lost My Job?
If you have lost your job, you will still have to pay child support. You cannot stop making payments unless otherwise stated by the court. That being said, there are options. Loss of employment may mean modifying the amount or frequency of your child support payments.
How Can I Modify Child Support Payments?
Because child support is partially determined by the disparity of the parent’s gross income and the financial resources of each parent, loss of employment may impact child support payments. If you need to modify your child support, you should contact an experienced family law attorney. It can be difficult to change your child support agreement. Child support will usually only be modified when a major unexpected change occurs, which loss of employment can fall under. But, certain circumstances will not qualify for modifications. For example, if you are unemployed because you quit your job, or you were fired for negligence or criminal misbehavior, you will probably not be able to modify your agreement.
If you have lost your job and you are struggling to pay child support, contact our firm to speak with a skilled family law attorney. We are here to advocate for you and walk you through all of your family law matters.
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Zimmet Law Group, P.C. is an experienced team of attorneys guiding clients through matters of estate planning and administration, divorce and family law, real estate, commercial litigation, business law, bankruptcy, and landlord-tenant law. If you require the services of an effective New York City attorney, contact our firm today to schedule a consultation.
