Support

Family courts follow statutory guidelines to determine child support for all but the wealthiest clients. Certain variables, such as age, financial status of the parents, and special needs of a child, can alter the child support from the statutory scheme. However, family courts may not have the time to conduct an in-depth exploration of all relevant factors when determining child support. So many child support orders may break down because the work was not done at the outset to insure a workable, flexible support structure.

In collaborative cases, our attorneys spend the time necessary to thoroughly address all relevant family issues. Collaborative family lawyers work with you to design a child support agreement that guarantees that your children have the financial resources they need, now and through college, if appropriate, while also making certain neither parent makes unrealistic commitments or feels unfairly treated. Any agreement in which one party commits to something they cannot reasonably perform, simply to appease the other party, will erode the necessary neutral container for post-divorce parenting. Our collaborative lawyers work with you to develop a financial child support plan that is fair, achievable, and in compliance with Pennsylvania child support laws.

For spousal support, we use software to perform support calculations (which are based on the Pennsylvania guidelines). With the sophisticated software that we use, we are able to give you after tax, after support calculations of the money that will be actually available to you to spend.

To adequately determine child support, we need a complete list of anticipated educational, medical and other necessary special expenses for your child. For alimony, we need detailed explanations of your standard of living and the details of your career planning and opportunity. From the payor of support, we need a comprehensive list of all  obligations, especially college and those from the marriage.

Our collaborative lawyers also work with clients to modify existing child support orders and spousal support agreements.

Contact us to discuss how we can help you achieve a fair and workable child support or spousal support agreement. Reach out to us at info@collaborativefamilylaw.com or call the telephone number shown below to get started.

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