Is It Worth Hiring An Attorney To Complete A Request For Child Support Modification When You Are Requesting More Money?

Posted on: 28 July 2017

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If you suspect or know that your child's other parent is making more money than when they were first ordered to pay child support, or if your situation has changed and you are suddenly earning less, you may be looking to request a child support modification to obtain more in child support. There are many benefits to hiring an attorney when you are looking to defend yourself against such a modification, but you may wonder if it is worth it when you are on the other side and looking to obtain more money for your child or children. Weighing the pros and cons can help you decide if hiring a child custody attorney is ideal in this situation. Here are a couple of the pros and cons of hiring a lawyer to complete a request for child support modification when you are requesting more money. 

The Cons

  • Local Child Support Departments Often Hold Free Clinics to Assist You

The biggest downside to hiring an attorney is the cost. Attorneys can cabe expensive. And when it comes to child support, most counties want to ensure that children receive the money that is due to them. As such, many county courthouses and child support enforcement divisions offer free clinics to those looking to obtain child support for the first time or for those looking to modify their current order. If money is tight, visiting one of these clinics and learning how to fill out the paperwork may be a better option. 

  • It Can Make the Situation With the Other Parent Contentious

If you are looking to increase the amount of child support you receive, you may simply want to ask the other parent if they can pay more and explain why. If you and the other parent are working to co-parent and things are going smoothly, hiring an attorney may seem aggressive. This can upset and blindside the other parent. As such, you may be better off requesting the money from them or going through mediation to avoid fighting and contentiousness in the future. 

The Pros

  • An Attorney Can Let You Know if You Would Even Be Legally Entitled to More Child Support

One of the benefits to working with an attorney is that they can let you know right off the bat if you would even be entitled to more child support. It would be a waste of time to go through the effort and cost of filing a child support modification only to learn it may only increase your child support checks by a couple of dollars, or worse, not at all. 

  • An Attorney Can Ensure All of the Paperwork is Properly Filled Out, Filed and Served

The other advantage to hiring an attorney is that they can help you ensure everything is done. If the paperwork is not filled out correctly, it can get kicked back. If the paperwork is not filed and served on your child's other parent, your case can be delayed. If you want to avoid delays and avoid the hassle of doing it yourself, a lawyer may be beneficial. 

Deciding whether or not to hire an attorney to help you with child support issues is a personal decision. In some cases, it is well worth it if you have questions or unsure what you are doing. If you are interested in learning whether it would be beneficial for you, consult with a child custody attorney. Most will offer a free consultation to let you know how they can help you and how they can be beneficial based on the circumstances you are in. Attorneys like those at the Law office of Don Bonner can help.