Back in March, the federal government signed the American Rescue Plan into law. This law expanded the Child Tax Credit for 2021 with the goal of helping more parents who struggling financially as a result of the pandemic. What has changed since 2020? The law has...
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Child Support
What can you pay for with child support?
It's common for a custodial parent to request or receive child support from the non-custodial one to cover expenses associated with raising their son or daughter. The courts generally try to ensure that both parents equally contribute to their child's upbringing. The...
4 Steps to Take if Your Former Partner isn’t Paying Child Support
When a court orders a former partner to pay child support, the money is intended to help ensure your children have what they need. This typically means that the child support money is needed to pay a mortgage, electric bills, food, and other essentials, which is why...
Changing child support when your financial circumstances change
When parents choose to end their relationship through divorce or legal separation, the two most common sources of disputes involve finances and child custody. The agreements reached may be workable and suitable for your circumstances at the time, but over the months...
How do I navigate a child support-related dispute?
During a divorce proceeding in Washington, one of the biggest points of contention is usually child support, if children are involved. The non-custodial parent -- the parent who does not live with the child -- may naturally worry about an order to pay an unreasonably...
Children of divorce need a consistent lifestyle
As a parent, you no doubt want only the best life has to offer for your child. Moreover, you also understand the importance of shielding the child from as much undue stress as possible. Unfortunately, if you are going through a divorce, it is almost certain to upset...
How can I get a child support estimate?
One of the most important aspects of the divorce process is determining the dollar amount of child support that you will either pay or receive. When approving child support payments, the court takes a number of factors into account. These factors include such things...
Single mothers dedicate high percentage of income to child care
While living in the great state of Washington has many wonderful advantages, it can also be very expensive. And perhaps no one is more aware of this than single mothers. A single mother not only has to shoulder much of the day-to-day responsibilities of raising a...
How to collect past-due child support
Children are expensive, and it's unfair when one parent is not doing his or her share to help with the kid's expenses, even with a child support agreement in place. Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to collect support payments that are in arrears.The...
How Does ‘Imputed Income’ Affect Child Support?
In Washington, as in other states, the family law courts order child support payments based (at least in part) on the parents' income levels. This means that whether you are seeking support payments or you are the one who has to pay, your income will play a direct...