Child Support Attorney Elizabethtown

During a difficult divorce, your children should always come first. Even if you or your spouse are unwilling to budge on other assets, you should both do your best to continue to meet your responsibilities for your children. For many divorced parents, this can come in the form of child support.

Child support can be tough to figure out, as Kentucky has its own procedures that divorcees must follow. Luckily, you’ll have the full support of expert child support attorneys when you choose the services of Clagett Law. We are proud to assist both mothers and fathers in the Elizabethtown area with child support issues.

How to Calculate Child Support in Kentucky

In Kentucky, child support is not a set fee that’s automatically paid by the parent that doesn’t receive custody of the children. Rather, it’s a sliding scale that varies depending on how much each parent makes. This means it’s essential for Elizabethtown parents seeking a divorce to consult with a child support attorney to know how much they should pay. Child support is calculated by using the Kentucky Child Support Worksheet.

Factors Considered When Calculating Child Support

It is only through calculating these figures that the proper child support obligation can be determined. Both parents will need to participate in this process by providing their income information to the child support attorney involved with their case.

The Difference Between Gross Income and Imputed Income

Gross income is one of the most important figures when a child support attorney determines how much one parent shall be responsible for paying to the other. For the purposes of the Kentucky Child Support Worksheet, gross income is defined as all income from any source. This includes both earned and unearned income, meaning that if a parent has invested in stock or receives large amounts of interest every year, this will be included in their gross income. However, there are ways to reduce gross income, which is something an experienced child support attorney can assist with.

Imputed income is a little different. It’s intended for Elizabethtown parents that don’t have a source of income that can be verified. If this is the case, the court will automatically assign that parent with an income amount. Imputed income is typically reserved for parents who are voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, meaning they could be making more if they wanted to.

How Long Will Child Support Last?

In the majority of cases, child support will last until the child turns 18. At this point, they are legally an adult and should be able to begin faring for themselves. The child support fees paid before this time are intended to support the child’s living and maintenance expenses, including things like food, housing, school tuition, and more.

However, there are some cases when child support can last past the child’s 18th birthday. One such case might occur if the child is still in high school when they turn 18. In this situation, child support would continue until the child’s graduation. If they don’t graduate at age 18, child support would cease once the child turns 19.

Settle Your Child Support With Help From Clagett Law in Elizabethtown

You want the best for your kids, and we want to help you with that. If you’re the parent entitled to child support each month, we can ensure you’re getting the funds you need each month to support your kids. Or if you have had a drastic change in circumstances since your child support was originally calculated, we will fight to make sure you are not being taken advantage of.

Because our law firm is small at Clagett Law, we’re able to provide hands-on care for every case. We’ll do everything we can to achieve the best results for you and your children. When you’re ready to get started, give us a call at (270) 900-0533 to set up your consultation at our Elizabethtown office.