Child Support Modification Archives

Why not reduce child support when the supporting parent loses his/her job?

Should child support be ordered reduced as soon as (automatically when) the supporting parent loses his/her job through no fault of his/her own? Of course. The only reason we don’t have such a law in place is because of greedy…

What are some interesting facts about child support?

October 22, 2019

Divorce Utah

Child Custody, Child Support, Child Support Enforcement, Child Support Modification, Children in Divorce

Child Support, children, custody, divorce, facts, obligee, obligor, payee, payor, support

Unless the court orders otherwise (and I have yet, after 22 years in practice, to see a court order otherwise), if you lose your job, you still have to pay child support based upon the income you no longer have.…

Do I have to keep paying child support if our child doesn’t live with the other parent?

August 21, 2019

Divorce Utah

Child Support, Child Support Modification, Children in Divorce

child residence, Child Support, district court, noncustodial parent., Office of Recovery Services, ORS

Question: My daughter turns 18 in the middle of September. I just recently learned that her mom moved away a couple of months ago leaving my daughter to live with her mother’s boyfriend, then my daughter just moved out of…

Do judges get angry at “dead beat dads” who aren’t biological fathers?

August 15, 2019

Divorce Utah

Child Support, Child Support Modification, Paternity

angry, biological father, Child Support, court, deadbeat dad, dna testing, feelings, judge, opinions

Do judges get angry at supposed “dead beat” dads who are not the biological father and refuse to pay child support for a kid that is not theirs? Occasionally. There are some well-publicized instances of men who can prove they…

Is there any way I can reduce child support?

August 13, 2019

Divorce Utah

Child Support, Child Support Modification, Children in Divorce

Child Support, circumstances, disability, earnings, future, income, material change, medical, Modification, modify, potential, present, support needs, Utah Code § 78B-12-210(9), wealth

In Utah (where I practice divorce and family law), yes, there are many possible ways to reduce child support. They may not be applicable to every child support payor, but there are ways: If you can persuade the court that…

Wollsieffer v. Wollsieffer – 2019 UT App 99 – modifying child support

THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS BURRIS WOLLSIEFFER, Appellant, v. HEATHER WOLLSIEFFER, Appellee. Opinion No. 20170645-CA Filed June 6, 2019 Third District Court, Salt Lake Department The Honorable Matthew Bates No. 154905336 Burris Wollsieffer, Appellant Pro Se Courtney Cooper, Ryan A.…

2019 UT App 83 – Nave Free v. Free – modification of child support

May 23, 2019

Divorce Utah

Assets/Debt/Property, Best Interest of the Child, Child Support, Child Support Modification, Children in Divorce, Divorce Law, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Men's Divorce Issues, Modification of Child Support, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Utah Code, Utah Court of Appeals, Utah Court of Appeals Decisions, Utah Law, Women's Divorce Issues

2004 UT App 314, 2009 UT App 152, 2013 UT App 296, 2015 UT App 308, 2016 UT 48, 2016 UT App 125, 2016 UT App 135, 2017 UT App 192, 2018 UT App 195, 311 B.R. 618, 323 P.3d 586, 365 P.3d 719, 379 P.3d 882, 379 P.3d 890, 387 P.3d 1000, 406 P.3d 258, 437 P.3d 464, 78B-12-210(9)(b)(iii), 897 N.Y.S.2d 401, 98 P.3d 1178, Bagley v. Bagley, Cantrell v. Cantrell, Child Support, Diener v. Diener, Dole v. Dole, Earhart v. Earhart, Fish v. Fish, Hansen v. Hansen, In re Harrelson, income had substantially increased, medical expenses of children, needs, petition to modify the divorce decree, Poberesky v. Poberesky, relative wealth, remarried, renting out a house, Shuman v. Shuman, substantial change in material circumstances, Taft v. Taft, upward deviation, Utah Child Support Act, Utah Code §§ 78B-12-101 to 403

2019 UT App 83 – Nave Free v. Free THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS LINDA LEE NAVE-FREE, Appellee, WENLOCK DUANE FREE JR., Appellant. Opinion No. 20170751-CA Filed May 16, 2019 Fourth District Court, Heber Department The Honorable Jennifer A. Brown…

Is It Harder to Get a Job After 40? Should Divorce Courts Care?

January 25, 2019

Divorce Utah

Alimony and Support, Child Support, Child Support Enforcement, Child Support Modification

40 years old, 7th District, age 40, alimony, Child Support, employment, imputation, impute, inc. magazine, job, unemployed

I just came across this from “Inc. this Morning” from Inc. magazine. It’s something you and the court may need to keep in mind when it comes to child support and/or alimony: “A friend of mine turned 40 recently, and…

At what age can children decide which parent they want to live with?

It’s largely a matter of age and size/strength or resourcefulness. Technically a child never legally has the power to choose with which parent he/she will live (the only person with that power is the judge). But as a matter of…

My child support is too high/too low. What can I do about it?

November 30, 2018

Divorce Utah

Child Support, Child Support Modification, Children in Divorce

child support modification, decreasing child support, increasing child support, modifying child support, terminating child support

Child Support Can Be Modified, If Circumstances Warrant As financial situations change, the amount of child support ordered may no longer be reasonable or even feasible. Your income may have decreased due to no fault of your own. The child…

If child support is too high, can I do anything about it?

November 5, 2018

Divorce Utah

Child Support, Child Support Modification

If child support is too high, can I do anything about it? Yes. As financial situations change, the amount of child support you ordered may no longer be reasonable. Your income may have decreased due to no fault of your…