Fayetteville Child Support Lawyer

Child support is designed to help ensure that both parents share an equitable burden of raising their children. The State of Arkansas uses a specific formula for calculating child support, but you can still benefit from having a Fayetteville child support lawyer on your side.

Trust Bundy Law

Whether you’re trying to work out a child support agreement as a provision of your Fayetteville divorce or you and your child’s other parent have never been married, the process can feel overwhelming. Working with the experienced team here at Bundy Law can take some of the stress off your plate. We’re deeply familiar with child support laws and how they apply to different situations. Our Fayetteville family law attorneys can protect your rights and interests throughout the legal process of determining child support.

Why Hire a Child Support Lawyer?

Around 38% of all Arkansas children live in single-parent households. Many of these households receive child support. The median household income in Fayetteville is $59,074, including all households, including those in affluent areas like Clear Creek, and 10.8% of all the people living in Fayetteville are divorced. When you put all of these numbers together, what you get is a large number of high child support payments.

While there is a set formula that Arkansas courts use to determine child support payments, it’s ultimately up to the discretion of the judge to decide how much you or your child’s other parent should pay. That’s why it’s so important to hire a child support lawyer who can protect your interests throughout the process. Your lawyer can help with everything from staying on top of paperwork to making a case for what you believe is a fair child support amount.

How Child Support Is Calculated in Arkansas

In Arkansas, the income of both parents is used to determine child support payments. That means it’s not always non-custodial parents who pay child support to custodial parents, although that is still often the case.

Arkansas courts follow a simple percentage chart to determine child support payments. A judge will total the gross monthly income of both parents. This income amount will then be prorated based on the percentage of parenting time each parent receives. You can argue against the use of these guidelines if you can provide proof that you engage in an alternate timesharing agreement or there is another reason to deviate from the state’s child support guidelines.

What Is Considered Income?

The court considers all available income made by both parents when calculating child support payments and uses a relatively broad definition of income, which can include:

• Wages and other earned income
• Distributions from dividends and pensions
• Royalties, tips, or lottery winnings
• Business perks, including housing, meals, and mileage

Gross income does not include means-tested public support or court-ordered payments.

A Look at One Example

To clarify how child support calculation works in Arkansas, let’s take a look at one example. Say that two parents have a combined monthly gross income of $10,000. One parent contributes $6,000, while the other contributes $4,000, so the first earns 60% of the total earnings and the second earns 40%.

Next, the court uses this information, coupled with the Arkansas child support chart, to determine a payment amount. In this case, the first parent making $6,000 per month would be responsible for paying $815, while the second parent making $4,000 per month would pay $612 if only one child were involved, for a total base support payment of $1,427.

The court adjusts this number based on additional child-rearing expenses, including health insurance premiums, medical expenses, and childcare costs. The resulting figure is the presumptive child support obligation. The first parent is responsible for paying 60% of it, while the second parent pays 40%.

FAQs

How Much Does a Child Support Lawyer Cost in Arkansas?

How much a child support lawyer costs in Arkansas depends on factors such as how complex your case is, how much experience your attorney has, and whether there are any additional expenses for things like expert witnesses or court fees. As a general rule, it’s cheaper to hire a Fayetteville child support attorney to help with an uncontested child support case than a contested one.

What Type of Lawyer Is Ideal for Child Support?

The type of lawyer that is ideal for child support is a child support lawyer. These lawyers are family law attorneys who are familiar with child support laws and can represent both custodial parents seeking increased child support and non-custodial parents seeking to lower their payments. It’s worth paying a little extra money for a lawyer with experience in handling child support cases.

How Do I Get Out of Paying Child Support in Arkansas?

You can’t get out of paying child support in Arkansas if you are the non-custodial parent. It’s a legal obligation that you must fulfill to your family. However, you can seek a modification of your child support agreement if your circumstances change, often meaning you’ve lost a job. You could also have the order terminated if your child becomes emancipated or you lose your parental rights. However, unpaid arrears will still need to be paid.

How Do They Determine How Much Someone Pays for Child Support in Arkansas?

The courts determine how much someone pays for child support in Arkansas by using what’s known as the Income Shares Model. This model is based on both parents’ combined gross income and the amount of money they would spend on raising the child. It adjusts for factors such as custody time, childcare costs, and extraordinary medical needs.

Your Fayetteville Child Support Lawyer

Whether you’re a custodial parent who believes you are not getting enough monetary support to provide for your child or a non-custodial parent who is currently paying more than you’re able to sustainably pay, you can trust a Fayetteville child support lawyer to help. The team here at Bundy Law has handled countless child support cases. We can help with yours, too. Contact us to schedule an initial consultation today.