Child Support Challenges Amid Pandemic

If you receive or pay child support this might help answer some of your questions.

The affects of the COVID-19 outbreak are being felt just about everywhere including the ability for some folks being able to pay their required child support due to the fact that they have lost their job or have been laid off for the time being.

If you have children and are required to pay child support to your children's mom and have lost your job during this pandemic do you still have to pay the same amount even though you have lost your income?

Questions like these are why we asked lawyer Joseph Buono to try and help out.

He told us that there are a few things that can happen that would require and adjustment to any child support payments. They include any income increase or decrease by 15% by the payee, or a substantial change in circumstances.

He also said that either party is able, by law to petition the court every three years to adjust the amount of child support.

When asked if it was possible to file any kind of petition now, Buono told us that family courts in the Hudson Valley aren't accepting any new filings right now because of the pandemic.

The best advice in a situation like this is for both parents to try and come to some sort of agreement outside of court for the time being and as courts open back up they can take the step and petition the court. Remember to always do what is best for the children involved.