As you get closer to a divorce, you realize that you are going to be ordered to pay child support. You cannot see any way around it. While you do not mind paying because you want to help your children, you also realize that you need to learn as much as possible about child support obligations before they begin.
To help you get started, here are a few important questions to ask:
- How long do you need to pay? Does the child support last until the child is 18? What if he or she has special needs? Then can it last longer? How much longer?
- Does your child custody arrangement impact how much you have to pay? For instance, will you pay more if your co-parent gets sole custody and you just visit the kids, compared to what you would pay if custody was split 50/50?
- Does the support requirement change if your former spouse gets remarried? Does the stepfather have any liability?
- Do you have to pay child support even if you and the child’s other parent never married?
- What rules does Indiana use to determine how much you will need to pay? How much do factors like standard of living, income differences and the child’s specific needs impact the case?
- Can you ask for an alteration if something changes? If you lose your job, for instance, can you get the payments lowered?
These are not all of the questions you need to ask, but they offer a great place to start. Make sure you fully understand all of your legal rights and obligations after divorce.