Child support
Child support from real paychecks
Support follows a formula, and the formula is only as good as the numbers put into it. We make sure they’re the right ones.
We help parents on both sides: asking for support, answering a request, collecting support that hasn’t been paid, and changing an order after a job loss, a raise or a new baby.
We read the other parent’s pay stubs and tax returns with you, find the income that was left off, and explain the worksheet line by line.
What we do in a support case
We gather both incomes
Pay stubs, tax returns, side work and benefits, for you and for the other parent.
We run the worksheet
We show you the number before the hearing, and why it comes out that way.
We ask for what’s fair
Health insurance, child care and school costs belong in the order. We make sure they’re in it.
We collect or change it
If payments stop, or your life changes, we go back to court for you.
Child support questions
The other parent works cash jobs. What can we do?
Courts can set support from what someone could earn, and from what they spend. We help you gather what shows it: rent, a truck payment, social media.
I lost my job. Does my support go down on its own?
No. It stays the same until a judge changes it, and unpaid support builds up. Ask to change it as soon as your income drops.
Can support be paid straight from a paycheck?
Usually, yes. An income withholding order sends it from the employer, which means fewer missed payments and fewer arguments.
Bring your pay stubs to a first visit
Tell us a little on the get-help page, or call the clinic.