When paying child support, it’s critical to pay close attention to the impact on your personal finances. While it’s important to make payments in full and on time, your circumstances have the potential to change as time goes by.
If you find yourself struggling to stay current with your child support payments, here are some tips for securing a modification:
- Don’t wait: Once you realize that you can’t keep up with your payments, learn more about the process of requesting a modification. This is critical as you’re expected to make your payments until your modification request is approved by the court.
- Reach out to your ex: Explain what you’re going through and ask them if they’re okay with a modification until things settle down. This alone isn’t enough to secure a child support modification, but it helps to have your ex on your side when you take your request to the court.
- Prove your change in financial circumstances: Without this, it’s next to impossible to secure a child support modification. The court wants proof that you’re unable to make your payments. This can come in many forms, such as proof of unemployment or a letter from your doctor stating that you’re unable to work.
When you follow these tips, you position yourself to secure a child support modification. If you’re successful, it’ll be easier to stay the course in the future.
A clear understanding of your current child support order and the legal process for securing a modification will help you make all the right decisions during this challenging time.