One of the most commonly argued aspects of divorce is child support. Even if child custody is clear-cut, child support and who pays what is often revisited time and time again throughout a child’s minor years. In fact, as times change and more and more technology is available to our youth, the increasing cost of a child’s changing lifestyle may prompt many parents to request a child support modification.
If you have been receiving child support for any length of time, you understand how it works. For many American families, child support represents a significant portion of their income. While this support payment is a valuable resource for many, changes in a child’s needs and lifestyle may make the historical payment inadequate. It is important for parents receiving child support to exercise their right to request a child support modification if their current amount no longer covers their teen’s expenses.
Many divorcing parents assume child support is designed only to cover the basics such as food, shelter and clothing, but it can also be calculated to include such items as entertainment, extracurricular activities and educational costs. For parents that have an all-encompassing and comprehensive child support agreement in place, the rising cost of their child’s more sophisticated lifestyle may be a non-issue. But, for the thousands of parents out there receiving child support based on the needs of a toddler, the growing cost of a teen’s lifestyle may come as quite a shock.
Divorced parents, both as the receiving and paying parent of child support, have the right to request a child support modification. If a situation changes and makes the current support order obsolete, an experienced family law attorney can help request a modification to account for the new and rising cost of a growing child.