Hingham, MA Child Support Lawyer

Ensuring Your Children Receive the Financial Support They Need

If you and your spouse have decided to separate but have children together, you’ll face a lot of issues that must be resolved before you can finalize your divorce. One major issue you’ll encounter is child support. Though both you and your spouse want what is best for your children, you may have different ideas about what is best and what is fair.

At Sawin Law, P.C., we help parents navigate child support disputes. Our goal is to resolve the matter amicably, outside of the courtroom. Of course, when negotiation and mediation do not yield results, we are never afraid to take the matter to court. Our child support lawyer in Hingham has broad experience and extensive training in the field of family law. Christopher knows how to effectively present these cases, negotiate fair settlements, and fight for what his clients deserve.

Calculating Child Support

Child support is often ordered when one parent has sole physical custody or a larger percentage of parenting time than the other. Support payments are intended to help the parent with greater parenting time pay for the child’s basic needs.

Massachusetts courts have established guidelines and a formula used to calculate fair child support payments.

Factors a judge may consider when awarding child support include:

• Each parent’s income and earning potential
• The age of the child(ren)
• The cost of the child’s health insurance
• Childcare costs, including daycare, shelter, food, and other basic necessities

Once ordered, child support payments will last until the child is emancipated – in most cases, this is when the child turns 18, but child support could last until the child is 21 or even 23.

Child Support Modifications

If you are currently paying or receiving child support but feel that the amount no longer reflects or meets your needs, you can request a modification. Child support modifications will only be granted by the court if you can prove that a substantial change in your circumstances necessitates the change. Our Hingham child support attorney can help you strategize and present your case effectively to give you the best chance at successfully modifying your support order.

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