Child Support
Child Support is a very important issue to address whether it is through a divorce action or custody case. In Iowa, there are specific guidelines that are used to determine the correct amount of child support. Factors that are considered can be the parties’ incomes, the cost of health insurance, mandatory pensions and the amount of visitation and custody arrangements.
How much child support will I have to pay or will receive?
There are certain factors the Judge will use to determine the amount, including number of children, income, and loss of health insurance. It is often helpful to consult with an attorney to discuss the factors that can affect the child support amount.
What if someone is ordered to pay child support but is not paying the support?
One common option would be to consider filing a contempt of court action if someone is not paying child support as ordered. This generally means that you are requesting the Judge to decide if the person not paying support is in violation of the child support order and willfully disobeying the order. If a person is not paying child support as ordered, they may be subject to sanctions such as suspension of their driver’s license or even jail time if the deemed necessary.
Can the amount of child support be changed?
If the Judge decides that the financial situation of the parties have changed, to the proper standard, the Judge may change the amount of support ordered. The amount can be increased or decreased.