Child Support Kansas City MO
Child Support In Kansas City
Until your children are considered adults, as determined by your stated of residence, they need financial support from both of their parents. Child support is calculated using state guidelines which consider many factors such as:
- the income or earning potential of each parent;
- the cost of the children’s health and dental insurance;
- the cost of childcare when the parents are working; and
- the parenting schedule and the amount of time the children spend with each parent.
A Levy Craig Child Support Kansas City MO Lawyer can help your navigate all of the above factors that go into child support calculations.
How is child support paid?
There are many options for paying. In many cases, there is an income withholding order, directing the employer of the paying parent to withhold child support from their paycheck to pay the support to the state agency who sends the payment to the receiving parent. Sometimes, parents prefer to have the paying parent set up an automatic debit so payments are automatically sent from one parent’s bank account to the other.
What is child support meant to cover?
Child support is for the direct expenses of the child such as school lunches, clothes, haircuts, etc. It also helps with indirect expenses such as housing, utilities, transportation and insurance. Parents typically share the costs of medical and dental treatment for their children, such as co-pays, deductibles and prescription medication, in addition to child support.
Who pays for the child’s extracurricular activities?
Unless the parents agree to share the costs of the children’s activities or the court orders the parents to share these costs, it is typically the responsibility of the parent getting support to pay for the children’s extracurricular activities.
Can support be increased or decreased as circumstances change?
Yes, child support may be modified, or changed, when there is a significant change in circumstance such as a substantial change in income received by one of the parents, increased health insurance costs, increase or decrease of work-related childcare, etc. Each state has its own requirements for a modification.
The Levy Craig family law team makes client satisfaction, good communication and strong, effective advocacy a top priority. To schedule a Child Support Lawyer Kansas City MO consultation, please call Janet Woolsey at 816-454-7474.
