Experienced Louisiana Family Law Attorneys Fighting for Your Rights
Mansfield Melancon’s family law attorneys always strive to get the best outcome possible for our clients fighting for their rights when dealing with difficult and complex issues such as child support. Of all the long-term relationships we experience throughout our lives, family ties are often the most private, enduring, and emotional. As most can attest, however, these relationships are rarely free from conflict. Mansfield Melancon’s family law attorneys provide personal and individualized attention and advice that clients need and deserve during what may be the most difficult times of their lives.
In Louisiana, both parents must support their child’s financial, emotional, and medical needs, even if the couple separates or divorces. This means that both parents remain responsible for expenses involved in raising their child. Generally, however, the parents’ custody arrangement will impact a child support award.
In most cases, the “noncustodial parent” (parent who spends less than 50 percent of the time with the child) will pay child support to the other parent. The “custodial parent” is the parent who has primary custody of the child. Although the custodial parent is also responsible for financially supporting the child, the law assumes that this parent spends the required amount directly on the child.
In addition to child support, one or both of the parents must cover the child’s medical care and the final child support amount may include extraordinary expenses for childcare or the child’s educational needs.
Determining Income Under the Louisiana Child Support Guidelines
A parent’s “adjusted gross income” is all income, minus preexisting spousal support and child support orders for children from a previous relationship. For child support purposes, a parent’s “gross income” is all financial resources, including: salary, wages, bonuses, commissions, traditional pensions, military pensions, or severance pay.
Louisiana Child Support Calculations Based on Custody
Physical custody of a child, or the amount of time a child spends with each parent, changes the way child support payments are calculated if both parents share equal time with a child (or children) or if you have split custodial duties for different children.
There are a variety of ways to share parenting time, but your child support award may change depending on whether you have “sole custody” (the child lives with only one parent most of the time), “shared custody” (the child spends equal, or approximately equal time with each parent), or “split custody”(parents divide the kids between them, mom takes the older child while dad has the younger child, for example).
Collecting Child Support
Establishing a child support award is only half the battle—you’ll also need to collect it. The obligor parent (parent ordered by the court to pay child support) can make payments several ways, including by cash, check, direct deposit, bank transfer, or using payment apps, such as Venmo or Zelle.
The experienced attorneys at Mansfield Melancon have vast experience assisting clients collect child support proceeds. Let the attorneys at Mansfield Melancon fight for the support you deserve!
Schedule a Consultation with a Family Law Attorney at Mansfield Melancon today!
If you are in need of reliable legal advice regarding your best available options when dealing with child support, contact a family law attorney at Mansfield Melancon immediately to make sure your rights and interests are being protected. We are committed to guiding the people whom we represent through the legal process with experience and personal attention.
Our firm also has a strong track record of getting optimal results for our clients.
Our offices are conveniently located in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette. Call us or contact us online to schedule a consultation with a Louisiana personal injury lawyer. You can reach us at our New Orleans location at 504-500-1108, our Baton Rouge location at 225-612-0800, or our Lafayette location at 337-409-0003.