You have agreed to either accept a certain dollar amount in child support, or pay a certain dollar amount in child support. Does that mean that you’re stuck with that dollar amount for years to come? The answer is no. You are certainly not stuck with that dollar amount.
Child support can be modified. So long as you have a good faith basis to show the court that you are involved in circumstances that are substantial and continuing, you do have grounds to file a motion to modify child support. What does that mean exactly?
Substantial and continuing
Let’s say you are temporarily laid off from your job, you get a temporary job and you don’t expect it to last very long. This is probably not going to cut it for the substantial and continuing change of circumstances.
About the dollar amount
Additionally, if the child support worksheet is run, and the dollar amount rendered from that child support worksheet is just 10% less than the current child support order, that’s not going to cut it. That’s not going to be substantial enough for you to have a good faith basis to file your motion to modify child support.
But don’t fear. The court understands that people’s financial situations, health insurance situations are ever changing, and there’s always relief available through the court system in order to get those numbers modified.