Dedicated Child Support Lawyers in Pickens, SC
Firm helps you negotiate, modify and enforce child support orders
Regardless of what their relationship status might be, parents have the legal and moral responsibility to provide for their son or daughter’s needs. A parent who primarily lives in a different home is required to provide child support to ensure that they carry their fair share of the financial burden. Located in Pickens, the firm of Acker Lambert Hinton P.A. delivers effective legal counsel on all types of South Carolina child support matters, including modification requests and enforcement proceedings. Whether you are the parent seeking payment or the one who is being asked to send child support, we offer exceptional advice and advocacy.
Factors used in the South Carolina child support formula
By working with an accomplished family law attorney, you can gain a thorough understanding of the legal standards that affect your child support case, including provisions relating to:
- Income shares — When parents get divorced or live apart after having a child outside of marriage, South Carolina’s child support formula sets rates based on income shares. This means that if the combined annual income of both parents is $100,000 and one parent earns $70,000, that parent would be responsible for 70 percent of the base child support obligation.
- Other factors — Significant expenses such as health insurance premiums and child care costs can affect the formula child support rate. Likewise, if one parent pays alimony to the other, the income is removed from the payer’s income and applied to the recipient’s for child support purposes.
- Duration — Typically, child support must be paid until a son or daughter has reached age 18 and completed high school. If a youth is still in high school at age 19, payments are required until they are finished with school. Your situation might favor negotiating arrangements that go beyond this date to fund higher education or care for a special-needs son or daughter.
Dealing with these issues can be tough, but we’ll make sure that you have the information and legal support that you need.
Modifications to existing child support orders
A child support order reflects the parties’ income and other circumstances at the time the determination is made. However, a job loss, medical problem or some other substantial change could make the existing terms unfair. Whether you are seeking an increase or decrease in the child support rate based on events that occurred after the initial order was created, we can petition the court for a modification. Likewise, our firm also represents parents who are opposing adjustments to their current child support arrangements.
Dedicated litigators take on child support enforcement actions
Paying child support is a serious legal obligation. If you are not receiving full, timely payments, you can request enforcement action from the South Carolina Division of Child Support Services or commence a Rule to Show Cause proceeding with the court. Numerous methods exist to compel a noncustodial parent to pay what they owe, including the garnishment of wages and benefits, driver’s license suspension and the attachment of a lien on the nonpaying parent’s property.
How mediation can help parents reach consensus on child support terms
Each family situation is unique. Often, formulas and courts cannot capture the complicated concerns that affect child support discussions. You and your fellow parent might benefit from mediation where a qualified, neutral third party can help you reach consensus in a private setting. Even when parties start far apart, this method of alternative dispute resolution can lead to a settlement where both sides are satisfied.
Contact an effective attorney for a confidential consultation about a child support issue
Acker Lambert Hinton P.A. handles a full range of child support issues for South Carolina parents. We are located in Pickens and represent clients from the surrounding areas, including Greenville, Clemson and Easley. Please call 864-668-1013or contact us online to schedule a confidential consultation.
