You and your child should not have to suffer and sacrifice because of unpaid child support, especially if the paying parent is willfully withholding payment or spending the money elsewhere. Your child’s health and welfare are of paramount importance. Not having enough money to cover the expenses of raising a child because one partner is unwilling to be responsible is unacceptable. The Law Offices of Teresa A. Beyers can pursue wage assignment and other remedies to hold that parent accountable.

Attorney Teresa Beyers focuses exclusively on California family law. She represents mothers or fathers in the San Fernando Valley and Greater Los Angeles in child support enforcement actions and child support modifications. As a child support lawyer in Los Angeles, CA. Attorney Beyers is available to ensure that your child support case is fairly heard and that the outcome is better for you and your child.

Are You Owed Child Support In Los Angeles County?

Remedies are available if you are not receiving court-ordered child support:

Child Support Enforcement Attorney Los Angeles
  • Wage assignment (wage garnishment): The court can authorize the other parent’s employer to deduct a certain amount from each paycheck and send it to your account.
  • Tax intercept: Child Services can obtain a court order to take unpaid support from the other parent’s tax returns.
  • Contempt of court: A parent who has the means but willfully refuses to make support payments may be subject to sanctions by the court, including jail time.

Many times, the paying parent is struggling financially because of unemployment or other hardships. If that parent has previously been responsible for child support obligations, we discourage clients from taking the drastic step of a wage assignment. You deserve a Los Angeles child support attorney who can help you and retain the good faith that you are doing your best for the child. For example, can we negotiate an agreement to make up the arrears over time?

But if the paying parent is “playing games,” all bets are off. Attorney Beyers brings the wage assignment form to the court hearing. If the other parent will not step up to the plate, we fill it out right there and ask the court for relief. In many cases, unpaid support goes hand in hand with a failure to exercise scheduled visitation. If the other party is not acting as a parent, we will take appropriate steps to enforce parental obligations or modify the custody agreement.

How Child Support is Calculated in Los Angeles County

California courts adhere to certain established guidelines when determining how much money a parent should pay in child support. Courts account for such essential factors as the following when making a decision:

  • The current wages of a parent, or the amount of money they could reasonably be expected to earn given their qualifications and access to employment opportunities;
  • The overall income of both parents;
  • The number of children the parents have with one another;
  • How both parents divide their time with their children;
  • Whether other relationships contribute to financial support for the children;
  • Additional expenses that may impact how much a parent can pay, such as health insurance costs, union dues, retirement contributions, etc.;

Those are a few noteworthy examples. Each child support case is unique, and courts may thus account for additional factors beyond what is listed here depending on the specific circumstances of a case.

The ideal goal when calculating child support payments is for both parents to agree upon an arrangement they believe is fair. An attorney can often help a parent ensure they are not being taken advantage of before they agree to pay a certain amount of child support.

However, when two parents are not able to come to an agreement on their own, it is typically up to the judge to determine what constitutes fair child support payments. Just remember, judges are not infallible, and it’s possible for a court to make mistakes when determining how much a parent needs to pay for child support.

Disputing Wage Assignment

The parent claiming they are not receiving sufficient child support payments is not always in the right. If you are the paying parent and believe that you are paying too much support or garnishment is unwarranted, we can examine the facts of your case and advocate for you in court to recalculate support or rescind the wage assignment

Additional Factors that May Impact Child Support Payments

As the name implies, child support payments primarily serve to promote the welfare of a child or children after two parents divorce one another. That said, in California, courts issuing child support orders might also specify that parents may need to both contribute to the costs of:

  • Child care, particularly if the parent who has primary or full custody of the children needs someone to watch their children while they work or receive training to boost their employability;
  • Healthcare expenses for a child, so long as said expenses are deemed reasonable and necessary;
  • The cost of traveling to ensure visitation rights are properly honored;
  • A child’s educational needs and any relevant special needs.

Details such as these serve as reminders that child support cases involve a degree of nuance that can potentially result in misunderstandings when disputes regarding whether child support payments are fair or whether a parent is paying what they have been ordered to pay to arise. To resolve such disputes effectively and protect your rights, seek the assistance of a qualified Los Angeles County child support enforcement attorney.

Contact The Law Offices Of Teresa A. Beyers

Los Angeles child support enforcement lawyer Teresa Beyers offers a free initial phone consultation and after-hours and weekend appointments. Get our Los Angeles child support law firm working for you.

    Contact Us

    All Fields Are Requireeed
    By clicking submit you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions.