Child Support in Missouri

What Is Child Support?

Child support is a financial obligation that a parent has to pay to support her or his child. This continues as they age and mature. Are you the parent who has custody of your son or daughter currently? If so, then the court will assume that the child receives full financial support while residing in your residence.

However, if your child does not live in your house and she or he is not currently under your custody, the court may require you to pay child support to the custodial parent. In Missouri, the Family Court Division of the Circuit Court handles child custody proceedings involving child support.

In Missouri, this means that you have to make payments to the custodial parent until your child reaches adulthood. There are other situations where you may only have to make payments until the courts have legally declared your child as emancipated or your daughter or son goes into military active duty. Keep in mind that if your child has special needs, there may be a requirement that you have to make child support payments past the legal age of adulthood.

Terminating Rights

Do you wonder if you can terminate your parental rights and not pay child support? Most states will not allow a parent to do this and cease support unless certain requirements are met. There may be some situations where a court terminates financial responsibilities if both parents agree that one party no longer has to provide financial support to their shared son or daughter. One situation where a parent may be able to terminate her or his responsibility to child support is if someone else, like a stepparent, adopts the child.

Missouri law provides a comprehensive list of circumstances that can justify terminating parental rights. For example, the courts may do so if the child has been abandoned or neglected. Or, if the parent is unfit, or has made minimal effort to support the child. Additionally, termination of rights can happen if the parent has murdered another child of the parent. If the parent wants to voluntarily terminate parental rights, they can file a General Consent to Termination of Parental Rights and Adoption.

Do you believe that the other parent has violated your rights to receive child support? Then get immediate legal help from an experienced Missouri lawyer on standby in your area who can help you fight for your child’s right to financial stability.

Get in contact with us today to get in touch with an experienced legal advocate in your area.

How a Missouri Child Support Attorney Can Help You

If you constantly struggle to get the other parent to pay, hiring a lawyer can help you learn about your available options and guide you on the best decision for your son or daughter.

Many people struggle with parents who refuse to pay. Hiring an experienced and dedicated lawyer will bring you professional help while navigating the legal system. Additionally, you may also have an easier time getting the money your child needs and deserves to better ensure a stable childhood.

In Missouri, child support can be obtained through a court order, typically as part of a child custody action. Additionally, the Family Support Division of Missouri’s Department of Social Services can help establish paternity and child support orders. Missouri’s Child Support Enforcement can enforce payment in a variety of ways. These can include driver’s license suspension, tax refund intercept, and income withholding. Additionally, the delinquent parent may be charged with civil contempt or criminal nonsupport, which may result in fines and jail.

Whether you’re seeking child support as part of a divorce settlement or as an unmarried parent, hiring a skilled child support attorney can simplify the process. Without legal guidance, the financial strain of raising a child alone can quickly deplete your resources, potentially leading to challenging and stressful circumstances for both you and your child.

Working with an attorney can help you to:

  • Establish paternity
  • Answer a child support petition
  • File a petition for support
  • Request a child support order
  • Explain the tax consequences that come with a child support order
  • Work with the other parent to reach an agreement
  • Represent you in court
  • Locate the other parent
  • Subpoena the other parent’s financial information
  • Prove income
  • Determine any factors that a court will look at to calculate how much you might owe
  • Educate you on the available child support enforcement options
  • Give you an estimate of how much financial support you may receive from the other parent

Do you believe that you deserve to receive payment from the other parent or that you are not receiving a sufficient amount? If you have to answer, yes, then make every effort to avoid missing what your kid deserves. Work with a dedicated Missouri lawyer who fights for your rights as well as your child’s rights.

Information to Share With Your Lawyer

As you work with your lawyer, make sure you share proper documentation to better ensure that you can properly proceed with your case in Missouri. The information that you need to share with your attorney includes:

  • Check stubs for the last two years or more if applicable
  • Outstanding debts
  • A change in debt, such as filing for bankruptcy
  • Paternity records
  • Adoption records
  • Previous child support payment records
  • Bonds, stocks, or any retirement account records
  • Tax return records
  • Purchase of sale records for a home, land, or any other type of assets
  • Any child support forms that you have

Child support in Missouri is determined using the Income Shares Model. This model helps ensure the child receives the same proportion of parental income they would have received if the household had remained intact. Missouri Courts provide a Child Support Amount Calculation Worksheet to complete for court review. Conveniently, child support in Missouri can be paid by mail or online through the Missouri Department of Social Services.

Work with an Experienced Local Lawyer in Missouri

Are you facing a costly and emotional child support battle? Talk to an attorney equipped to help you in this delicate situation. Call now or fill out the simple form below to take steps to protect your children’s interests. Learn more about your child support law options below.

One of our expert Missouri attorneys will help to navigate you through the legal system to get you the money you and your kid should have. We can even help you connect with an attorney across Missouri state lines.

Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area!

About the Author

Aaron is a professional legal writer with a B.S. in English Education from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. He has written, published, and edited thousands of legal articles for RequestLegalHelp, which has connected over 5 million people to legal help in the United States.

With over five years of experience writing thousands of legal articles for law firms across the U.S. and Canada, Aaron specializes in covering federal, state, and city-level legal issues ranging from auto accidents to wrongful terminations. Contact Aaron at [email protected] for article suggestions, collaborations, or inquiries.

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