Child Support Lawyer in Tempe

If you are filing for divorce in Tempe and you have children with your former spouse or partner, you will likely need to create a child support agreement. Depending on the circumstances surrounding your case, Tempe child support arrangements can be stressful and complex.

In these situations, the child support lawyer at the Law Office of Karen A. Schoenau can help you navigate these proceedings. Our attorney will fight aggressively for your rights and your child’s best interests, advocating for an optimal resolution on your behalf.

Why Choose Us

• Our attorney, Karen Schoenau, specializes in complex child custody cases and has over 20 years of experience representing Arizona residents in family court.
• We will always prioritize your children’s best interests and will place your children at the center of every decision we make in your case.
• Our family law attorney has won multiple awards recognizing her dedication to our clients, including the 2019 Maricopa County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers’ Program Attorney of the Year.

What Does Tempe Child Support Pay For?

Parents have a legal obligation to care for their children. The purpose of child support is to provide children with the resources they need to live healthy, functional lives. Child support funds in Tempe can pay for basic necessities such as food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, as well as medical care and educational expenses. In many cases, extracurricular activity fees, entertainment expenses, and other forms of enrichment are included in child support payments.

Tempe Child Support Guidelines

Arizona follows a shared income model when determining child support payments. This means that both parents have a duty to contribute a proportional share of their income to care for their children. In many cases, the non-custodial parent, or the parent who does not have primary custody of the children, must make payments to the custodial parent. However, child support orders will vary from case to case.

The court will first estimate the amount of money that the parents would spend on their children if they continued to live together as one family. Next, the court will determine the amount each parent has to pay based on a number of factors, which may include the following.

• The gross income of each parent
• The amount of parenting time that each parent holds
• The medical expenses of each child
• The number of children residing in the home
• The cost of daycare
• Any other extraordinary expenses required to care for children

A court can use many sources of payment to calculate a parent’s gross income. This may include wages, bank and retirement accounts, veteran’s benefits, workers’ compensation, capital gains, and stock investment interest.

How do You Benefit From the Services of a Tempe Child Support Attorney?

Although you are not always required to seek the services of a lawyer, an experienced family law attorney can help you evaluate your situation and legal options. You can expect our Tempe child support attorney to:

• Explain the intricacies of the legal situation and what you can expect at every stage of the child support process
• Review your case and offer timely legal advice as to how you ought to proceed
• Calculate the anticipated child support amount
• Represent you in Arizona court to uphold your rights
• Negotiate on your behalf to meet financial obligations

Whether you’re dealing with a complex child support modification or facing an opposing legal team, our family law attorney is in your corner. We understand that support orders can be stressful and complex, and our legal team provides compassionate and skilled advocacy. Our legal team has considerable knowledge of Arizona child support guidelines and works to ensure you maintain compliance with applicable regulations.

What to Do if Your Former Partner Won’t Pay Child Support in Tempe

Under Arizona law, a parent must pay child support if a court orders him or her to do so. However, some parents may fail to make these payments on time or in the correct amounts. In these situations, you can request the court or the Arizona Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) to enforce the court order. Speak to a Tempe child support lawyer as soon as possible to learn about your options for enforcement and initiate the process.

Who Processes Child Support Payments in Arizona?

In the state of Arizona, all spousal maintenance and child support cases use the Arizona Support Payment Clearinghouse to process and record a case’s payments. The Arizona Department of Economic Security is in charge of running the Support Payment Clearinghouse. After a court order has been created to outline the amount of monthly child support to be paid and the start date of payments, an Order of Assignment becomes active. This requires the responsible parent’s employer to withhold the proper amount of support and transfer it directly to Clearinghouse.

In the time between the support order being installed and the Order of Assignment’s activation, the responsible party must pay the Clearinghouse directly. You are not permitted to make informal payments to the other parent, since they cannot be tracked and may result in additional legal proceedings. It is the role of the Clearinghouse to:

• Receive all payments
• Process all payments
• Accurately track and record all payments made

Once processed by the Clearinghouse, the receiving parent can elect to have the funds transferred to a direct deposit account or placed on a support payment card.

Schedule a Consultation Today

If you are entering child support proceedings, hiring an attorney from the Law Office of Karen A. Schoenau can help. Our Tempe child support lawyer can protect your rights and your child’s best interests throughout the process. Message us today or call 480-467-3435 to schedule your consultation and discuss your legal options.