Child Support Lawyers in Oregon
Parents have an obligation to financially provide for their children. It’s important to make sure you receive or pay adequate child support to meet your children’s needs. Whether you’re going through a divorce or need to modify an existing child support order in Oregon, our family law attorneys at Johnson and Taylor ensure your rights and your children’s rights and interests are protected.
How Is Child Support Determined in Oregon?
Oregon courts use child support guidelines to calculate the amount parents are required to contribute to the care of their children. Factors that go into determining a child support award include:
- Income of each parent
- Spousal support paid or received by each parent
- Social Security or veterans’ benefits
- How much each parent needs for self-support
- Cost of union dues paid by each parent
- Health insurance costs for your or the children
- The number of children
- Education expenses
- Childcare expenses
- Your court-ordered parenting time schedule
Typically, the parent with whom the children primarily reside will receive child support from the other parent. Although the courts use these guidelines to determine child support amounts, judges have the discretion to award an amount they deem appropriate when considering all the family’s facts and circumstances. Our child support lawyers ensure all sources of income are accounted for, so your support award fairly covers the costs of raising your child.
Modification of Child Support Orders
Circumstances such as job loss, illness, and changes in income may necessitate modification of a child support order. Our child support attorneys can assess your situation and help you file a modification motion with the court. Common reasons a parent may ask for a modification include:
- Income of one or both parents has increased or decreased
- The child custody or parenting time arrangement has been altered
- Needs of the child have changed, such as health care costs or coverage
- The number of children involved has changed, such as having another child with a new partner
Our family law attorneys can also help with any child custody issues you may be facing, such as changes to a parenting plan or visitation rights and modification or enforcement of an existing custody order.
When Does Child Support End?
Child support in Oregon usually ends when the child turns 18. However, child support payments may continue until age 21 if a child is enrolled in school or a job-training program and making satisfactory progress. In these instances, support is paid directly to the child, who is responsible for enforcing those payments. In certain circumstances, child support can end before age 18 if the child gets married, joins the military, or becomes legally emancipated.
What Happens if a Parent Doesn’t Pay Child Support?
If your co-parent has stopped making child support payments, our family law attorneys can help you file a child support enforcement action. The consequences for failing to fulfill child support obligations in Oregon include:
- Wage garnishment
- Placing liens on personal property
- Taking proceeds from tax refunds, lottery winnings, or inheritances
- Garnishing funds from a personal injury settlement
- Seizing funds in bank accounts
- Revocation of driver’s license and passport
- Reporting child support payment arrears to credit bureaus
If a judge finds a delinquent parent is in contempt of court, they may be subject to fines or jail time. Whether you’re the one seeking back child support, or you have gotten behind in your payments, our family law attorneys can help you get things back on track and ensure your children are well taken care of.
Establishing Paternity
When a child is born outside of marriage, paternity must be established before child support, custody, and parenting time can be ordered. Our child support attorneys can assist you with finding genetic testing and filing the proper paperwork with the court once paternity is determined. Our attorneys can also help people wishing to challenge paternity.
Why Choose Our Child Support Lawyers?
As a parent, your child’s well-being and financial security are top priorities. Our team believes the best family law attorneys keep children’s interests at the forefront and help families resolve conflicts as efficiently and effectively as possible. Our attorneys are well-respected by judges and others in the legal community. Our experienced team includes Spanish-speaking attorneys and staff. Our office in Salem, OR, is conveniently located next to the courthouse.
Contact Our Oregon Family Law Attorneys
At Johnson and Taylor, our child support lawyers are well-versed in all aspects of family law in Oregon. If you need assistance with obtaining, modifying, or enforcing a child support order, we can help. Call our office at 503-990-6641 or contact us online to schedule a consultation with a child support attorney. Johnson Taylor litigates personal injury, divorce and family law and estate planning and probate cases. Our divorce and family and estate planning and probate lawyers serve clients in Marion, Polk, and Linn County and other surrounding communities.