Child Support

A child support judgment is one of the most lasting decisions a family law court will make. Child support awards last years and often until the child reaches the age of majority (18 years old). At Kilo Flynn, we help parents in all stages of child support issues – whether it be setting an initial amount, enforcing a child support judgment or seeking modification when circumstances warrant a change in the amount previously awarded.

Under the law, parents owe a duty of financial support to their children. Typically, the parent who does not have primary physical custody of the child will be required to pay child support to the other parent. You need not have been married to the parent of your child in order to seek an award for child support. If you were not married, however, you may have to first establish paternity before pursuing child support.

Determining child support is a highly technical process that requires the use of certain forms, charts, and calculations. In initially setting child support, parties in Missouri will have to fill out Form 14, which asks for many pieces of information – the most important being a parent’s gross income. Gross income is all income a parent makes before taxes, health insurance, and retirement savings are deducted. This also includes income from bonuses, stock dividends, tips, overtime, and many other sources.

Under Missouri law, a court must look at all factors listed in the relevant family law statute. These factors are:

• The child’s financial needs and resources
• Each parent’s financial needs and resources
• The standard of living the child would have had if the marriage remained intactv
• The child’s educational needs as well as the physical and emotional health of the child
• The physical and legal custody arrangements, i.e., the time the child spends with each parent and the associated cost of the custody arrangement
• The child care expenses born by each parent

If under the terms of the child support award, you are owed money and your former spouse refuses to pay, you should seek the advice of a qualified family law attorney. Child support is necessary to give your children the fullest life possible. There are many ways to recover child support amounts that are in arrears and to make sure child support payments are timely paid in the future.

Getting a child support award is a decision you will have to live with for years. At Kilo Flynn, we understand the importance of this process, and we understand how to get our clients a suitable child support award. Kilo Flynn attorneys are available to assists clients on child support matters throughout Missouri and Illinois, including the City of St. Louis, and the Missouri counties of St. Louis, St. Charles, Lincoln, Jefferson, Franklin and Crawford, and the Illinois counties of Madison, St. Clair and Monroe.

For a free initial meeting to discuss your child support needs, call or office today at 314-647-8910.