Financial issues are complicated, and child support issues are often less clear than they appear. Regardless of which side of a Washington child support case you are on, you need a child support attorney ready to fight for you. At Twyford Law Office, our child support attorneys are ready to advocate for you and ensure you and your family have the financial health you need for a strong future.
Twyford Law Office’s child support attorneys are:
Compassionate and empathetic;
Knowledgeable and driven to succeed; and
Aggressive and experienced in all aspects of child support law.
Contact Twyford Law Office to discuss your child support case with attorneys who are hard-working, determined, and able to represent your interests in a potentially contentious and emotional legal conflict.
How Our Seattle Child Support Attorneys Can Help
If you are entering into a child support case as part of a larger divorce case or child custody modification or need your child support orders modified or enforced, a child support attorney from Twyford Law Office can help. Our Seattle child support attorneys can organize child support payments, and clarify and determine the terms of child support orders. They can also negotiate support on your behalf and provide you with fierce advocacy during court.
Twyford Law Office does the following, and more for you:
Explain the entire child support process from beginning to end;
Answer all of your questions;
Advise you of your rights;
Determine if you qualify for any modifications;
Assess your child support case, look at the documents, clarify any terms, and calculate potential payments;
Help you get back child support;
Implement new child support orders;
Negotiate child support payments; and
Enforce child support orders.
Contact a Seattle family lawyer at Twyford Law Office for the child support assistance you deserve. We can address all of your concerns, protect your legal rights, and ensure your child support process is fair.
How Is Child Support Determined in Seattle?
Washington state law determines the appropriate amount of child support to be paid each month by the non-custodial parent. A parent’s child support obligation in Washington State is based primarily on the parties’ income while also considering work-related daycare expenses, medical insurance payments, uncovered medical expenses, long-distance travel expenses, and other factors.
Parents may request either the County Superior Court or the Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to determine child support for the child or children. The amount a parent is ordered to pay will be the percentage of their income to the joint income of both parents. This number may be adjusted up or down for several reasons.
If either parent is unemployed, the Court will impute an income for that parent based on minimum wage, that parent’s previous work history and earning potential, or what the state determines a person of their gender and age should be making. The Court may also impute income at a higher rate if it decides a parent is voluntarily under-employed to reduce the amount of child support they would otherwise have to pay.
How Long Does Child Support Typically Last?
A child support order typically ends when the child reaches the age of 18 or graduates from high school, whichever is later. The Court may award post-secondary support at its discretion. Post-secondary support does not go beyond a child’s 23rd birthday.
Can Child Support Be Modified?
A parent can request a child support review every two years. If there has been a substantial change of circumstances, either parent may ask for a modification at any time. A parent can ask for a modification of child support after one year if:
The order in practice works a severe economic hardship on either party or the child;
The child is no longer in the age category that was used to determine support when it was previously entered;
The child is still in high school and will turn 18 before completing high school; or
Contact an Experienced Seattle Child Support Attorney
For additional information about any of the information in this article, or to learn how Washington’s child support laws apply to you and your children, contact the experienced child support attorneys at Twyford Law Office. Our child support attorneys will take the time to learn about you and your children’s unique needs and advise you how a child support order or modification can fulfill those.
