Child Support Attorneys

Child support is a monthly payment from one parent to another based on a number of factors, including each parent’s income, the number of dependent children, and the overnight schedule.

In Maryland, D.C., and Virginia, parents are required to provide financial support to their children until the age of 18-21, depending on the jurisdiction (and in some circumstances, to provide support for adult children). The purpose of child support is to ensure children’s financial needs are covered.

Understanding How Child Support is Determined

The child support amount is calculated in consideration of state-specific guidelines, but the guidelines are not always cut and dry. The child support guidelines become more flexible once a family exceeds specific income limits. Depending on your unique circumstances, a court may also consider the standard of living in a child support award.

What Factors Can Affect Required Child Support?

There are many factors considered when determining the child support obligations that will be assigned to each parent, including their respective incomes, custody schedules, the number of children, and who pays specific child expenses. Relevant expenses for the children include health insurance, medical and dental expenses, work-related childcare, and camp. Sometimes other expenses, such as extracurricular activities, sports, and private school, are also considered.

How Our Child Support Attorneys Can Help You

Our law firm’s approach to your child support case and the economic drivers that underpin it ensure that the needs of your children are met without creating an undue hardship for either parent.

Our child support attorneys have the financial acumen to address your unique situation, including high-income, high-asset cases. As in all matters involving children and their best interest, we seek to find the appropriate balance that is fair to both parents and their children.

Consult With a Trusted Child Support Attorney

Lerch Early’s child support attorneys help the parties involved reach agreements and support orders, and modify or enforce existing agreements or orders. Our attorneys create child support solutions that are fair and appropriate for both the children and the supporting parents.

 

Contact a Child Support Attorney

Success Stories

Gaining Physical Custody in Relocation Case

Challenge

The mother of our client’s children planned to move away for a new job opportunity, taking the children with her. She had been the primary parent, so our client wished to gain sole physical custody of the children, allowing them to remain in the DC area.

Strategy

Lerch Early argued before the court that the children would be best served to stay in this area with their father. We worked with key experts to demonstrate that a move to the new location would be detrimental to the children’s interests.

Result

The judge awarded sole physical custody to our client, allowing the children to remain in the environment where they attended school and had friends.

Insights