You got screwed, and no one in the system cares or will do anything to help you.
serious arrears? If there is a verbal agreement, or a document saying a lower amount(which you paid), and NOT a signed document saying the amount of “guideline” child support due then I can not understand why a judge would award arrears. did you agree with her attorney convincing you or did the judge make the decision for you to pay arrears in cs??
When you do the cs calculator are you entering your gas, med,and education expenses for the child(ren)?
I showed the written agreement between my ex and I for monthyl child support before we ever went to court. He said that that amount was fine. When we got to court, he told me I was “in arrears” according to the guidelines. He had never so much as told me that guidelines existed and I was counting on him to tell me what to do. He said that the agreement we had between us now was not valid and that I would have to “suck it up” and pay an increased amount. Funny thing though. When she decided to leave, she left us with about $30,000 in marital debt. Suddenly, my “arrears” came to almost exactly my half of the debt and he said that the amount I could have gotten from her (half the debt) and the “arrears” was now a wash and not to pursue it. I don’t know who screwed me worse, my ex or my attorney.
My ex paid 300 less than guideline support for 10 months, but since there was not an agreement or order I was told that I should consider that as him being generous. I was also told unless there is an order or agreement stating the amount then he didnt have to pay anything. And if there is an agreement that I signed with a lower amout that I would have to accept what I first signed unless there was a modification of support. I was unable to collect any arrears, since we agreed to the lesser amount.
Did the judge order the arrears or did your attorney say not to pursue it since it was a wash??
I think it sounds like your attorney didnt want to continue with your case/litigation so he convinced you to do what was not in your best interest.
Are you putting all the things you spend on the children gas, medical, educational, recreational etc…into the calculator?? That should reduce your obligation by alot.
I have been paying child support faithfully for over 5 years, never late, never short. Meanwhile, my ex wife has not held a full time job in over 4 years. She has remarried and has a new husband of substantial means. I know that a new spouse’s income does not figure into child support, but I find it extremely unfair that if I were to have child support recalcuated right now, my amount would actually go up instead of down because she has no appreciable income. Meanshile, in addition to child support, I also pay (1) 100 percent of all transportation costs involved with visitation every other weekend. This trip requires a round trip on Frdiay nights of 300 miles and another round trip of 300 miles on Sunday for a total of 600 miles every other weekend. I am not compensated for the fact that gas prices have more than doubled since our divorce. (2) I pay 100% of the health insurance costs for the children and yet she receives medicare. There is a constant battle between Medicare and my insurance as to who the primary insurance is and it has led to many phone calls, faxes, and communications between the two, with lots of confusion in the process. This summer, I paid a large sum of money to Sylvan learning center for the time my son was here to help him in his math at school. She did pay half of that total figure, but when Sylvan suggested that he receive online help during the school year, she balked at this idea because it “costs too much” This coming from a woman who has nearly everything in her new house that she lives with her new husband who does not lack for any funds to buy new computer equipment, furniture, and support their 2 pack a day smoking habit. The final kicker was that at the time of the divorce agreement, I was paying her $400 a month on child support without a decrere, as agreed by both of us in a written document. I showed this dicument to my attorney who said this was fine. When we got to court, he then revealed to me that there were actually guidelines for support and that I was in serious arrears. I was not even aware of such guidelines and he should have informed me of them. At the time, I could have met the guidelines. She left me with over $30,000 in consumer debt and suddenly, my “half” of the debt virtually equalled the amount of child support I was “behind” on. I have been paying an increased amount of support every month ever since to make up for those arrears and in the meantime, have taken on and paid most of the $30,000 debt without her help at all.
I base the fact that my child support would be increased on the NC Child Support Calculator on the Rosen website. I plugged my income in and added her with no income and my child support would increase by almost $300 a month
My son will soon be 18, but support must continue because he will still be in high school.
What recourse do I have now short of going for custody of my 8 year old daughter. She is happy and well adjusted and doing well in her school and I do not want to upset that.
Let me also add that at the time of the divorce, there was no domestic violence nor adultery. There were some financial problems, but she announced that she was tired of living from paycheck to paycheck and she wanted out of the marriage.
In short, what can I do to have my support looked at again to make it more equitable, given the situation?