Whether you’re going through a divorce or were never married to the other parent of your child, your child deserves financial support. Where paternity is established, children have the right to receive financial support from both parents. Maryland provides individual family law guidelines left to the court’s discretion to determine who, if anyone, will pay child support, and how much said payments should be.
Understanding child support in Maryland
In the simplest terms, child support typically involves a noncustodial parent contributing financial support to the custodial parent to provide for children’s basic needs.
- Maryland law considers it every child’s right to receive financial support from both parents.
- Courts often take established lifestyle into consideration when making a decision regarding child support.
- Parents must provide financial support for children until they turn 19, graduate high school or become emancipated.
- Incomes of both parents are pertinent when determining child support payment amounts.
- Courts may consider potential income in situations where a parent is not employed.
- The parent receiving child support payments typically does not have to disclose how they spent the money.
It’s fairly common to hear parents paying child support complain that their payments are too high. Similarly, those receiving payments often say the amount they’re getting is not enough to cover their child-related expenses. Such differences of opinion often lead to contentious courtroom battles.
If your former spouse refuses to obey an existing court order, or you wish to seek modification of your current child support plan, you can reach out for support by discussing the issue with an experienced family law attorney who can advocate on your behalf and make sure your children’s best interests remain a central focal point in all court proceedings.