Queens Child Support Modification Lawyer

Child support is designed to ensure that, regardless of the living situation, both parents contribute to the cost of raising a child.

This means that if you are a noncustodial parent, you can expect to pay a certain amount each month, and if you are the custodial parent, you will receive regular payments to help you cover the costs inherent to raising a child.

In Queens, those costs can be considerable, as can the impact regular child support payments can have on your budget.

But that amount is not set in stone; it is set by the court, based on the relative incomes of the parents and the time the child spends with each.

It is also possible to modify the amount, or rather, to request a modification of it from the New York Family Court, but only if certain conditions have been met:

• There needs to be a substantial change in the economic situation of either or both parents,
• OR three years must have passed since the order was first issued,
• OR you have been sentenced to serve time in prison.

Even if three years have passed, however, there must be some change in circumstances for you or the other parent to justify a change in the amount of child support you pay or receive in Queens.

And when you do make the request, using Family Court Form 4-11, you can and should consider the following strategy tips from Jeffrey Johnson to improve your chances of a successful child support modification.

Three Child Support Modification Strategies

After decades of helping parents in Queens and throughout New York City successfully modify child support obligations, Jeffrey Johnson knows what the court looks for. The following are three tools you can use to improve your chances; however, the first step should always be to consult a child support modification lawyer you can trust.

• Wait For The Opportune MomentNew York Family Courts tend not to appreciate having their decisions questioned immediately, and those in Queens are no exception. Trying to get a modification within a month or even three of an initial or subsequent decision is not going to work in your favor.Instead, you should wait for the right moment, when your economic situation is at its most dire, or there have been significant changes to your situation (or your the other parent’s) that you and your child support lawyer can point to as justification for a modification.

• Gather Plenty Of EvidenceNo court in the land is going to take your word alone on child support, especially if you are applying for a reduction in what you have to pay. You will need lots of evidence to back up your claim that your situation, or your ex’s, has changed substantively enough to merit a change in child support.The more evidence you can bring, the better. It should speak to a change in your economic circumstances or those of the other parent. Evidence of a job loss, or new job, raise or pay cut, change in costs, other sources of income, and so forth. If you are presenting evidence of a loss in income, you also need to show evidence that it was not your fault and that you are trying to find a new or better job.

• Try For Mediation Or Arbitration FirstBefore going to court, you should always attempt a friendly or cooperative agreement. If you don’t, chances are a judge will order you to try going to arbitration or mediation first anyway. Mediation involves a neutral party who helps you reach a compromise, while arbitration gives a neutral third party the power to come to a decision after listening to both sides.Both are usually cheaper than going to court, and can offer a quicker path toward an agreement on a new child support amount. If you reach Family Court and have already agreed on a compromise with your ex, that significantly improves your chances of a rapid agreement and approval by the Family Court Judge in Queens.

The Law Office Of Jeffrey W. Johnson | Supporting Families And Parents Through Hard Times

Has your child support payment become an unbearable burden? Is the money you are being sent insufficient to raise your child in Queens? It might be time to request a modification of your child support arrangement.

Reach out to our family law office, and we can help you prepare your modification request and improve your chances of success.

Just call (347) 212-5945 or contact us online to tell us about your situation and find out how we can help you through these hard times.