Child Support

Child Support in North Carolina

Child Support is a claim that coexists with a claim for child custody – that doesn't mean the two have to be brought together; it means that if you have a claim for one you have a claim for the other.

While you might think that child support is hotly contested, under most circumstances, when both parties are represented by attorneys, a child support case can usually be resolved outside of the courtroom fairly quickly. While this might seem somewhat counter-intuitive, the reasoning is actually fairly simple. In North Carolina, Child Support is very strictly controlled by a specific set of laws and a specific set of formulas that determine what a parent's child support obligation is.

What this means is that once the information from you and the other parent is obtained and put into the formula, it will tell you what the child support payment is going to be. It is the same formula that is used by the Court, so under most circumstances the attorneys and parties can do the calculations, agree on the amount, and resolve the matter in a settlement or child support agreement.

Our goal is to help you understand and streamline the process so that you can efficiently resolve your situation and begin to move forward. It is our goal not to have to take child support to Court except in the most unusual situations.

How Can We Help

The Law Offices of Tiffany A. Lesnik is more than willing to assist you with calculating your Child Support obligations and resolving any conflict with either a settlement agreement or consent order. Most cases can be resolved outside of the courtroom, however, we will certainly represent your interests in Court should we be unable to settle the matter.

In North Carolina, Child Support is controlled by the Child Support Guidelines in almost all cases – the exceptions being if you have children with some kind of special needs, either you or the other parent own your own business, or if you and the other parent have combined incomes of over $300,000.00 per year. In these cases, the Guidelines might still apply but we may also need to deviate from the Guidelines due to special circumstances. We are more than willing to meet with you to discuss these and any other questions you may have regarding Child Support. The first step in any Child Support action is the collection and exchange of what are called Initial Disclosures. The Wake County form for those is available here. These are specific documents that are used to calculate the Child Support obligation. If you are preparing to begin a Child Support action, we recommend that you begin collecting these documents right away as they are due shortly after the action begins. Once financial disclosures have been made, the Child Support obligation can be calculated using the Child Support Guidelines. One additional note, Child Support is greatly influenced by your custody schedule so if there is an ongoing custody dispute as well, that may require resolution before completing Child Support. Should you decide to retain this firm for assistance and representation in your Child Support action, we will be there to guide you through the process and answer any questions and concerns you may have.