Child Support

California’s law on child support, like its laws on custody and visitation, are centered around the best interests of the child. These laws are designed to ensure a number of factors such that children should share in the standard of living of both parents, that both parents are mutually responsible for the support of their children, and that a parent’s first and principal obligation is the duty to support his/her minor child according to their station in life (Family Code §4053).

California therefore partakes in a Statewide Uniform Guideline child support program which utilizes a “Guideline Calculator” based on the enumerated mandatory guidelines as set forth in Family Code §4050 et seq. All child support orders must therefore be “guideline” child support order and courts only have the authority to deviate from a guideline order under special circumstances. The end goal is still to ensure that the children receive “fair, timely, and sufficient support” reflecting California’s high standard of living and costs of raising children as compared to other states.

Although Courts do not have much discretion to deviate from guideline orders, except under special circumstances, the Court does have discretion in its determination of what figures are inputted into the calculation and what hardships are considered. This is where having an experienced family law attorney who has mastered the program, the statutes, and who can argue for the variances is critical to securing the best child support order. Nordhoff Law & Mediation deals regularly with child support issues and has a deft understanding of California’s statutory guidelines. Whether it is determining a party’s income available for support, fighting for the courts consideration of a hardship, or working concurrently to resolve the timeshare issues as it relates to child custody and visitation, we know how to achieve the best support orders for our clients.

At Nordhoff Law & Mediation, we understand that determining, modifying, and enforcing child support payments can be a complex, messy process. Our attorneys have the experience and expertise to help your family find a solution, while minimizing the time and stress involved. Our main priority is to ensure that your children have the financial support they need and deserve. Contact us today to see if we are the right fit for you.