Atlanta family law attorneys are often asked about lowering a party’s child support obligation. I was recently asked how a person could adjust their child support obligation where the ordered amount is so high that they could not pay rent or other bills.
In order to have child support adjusted or modified, a parent needs to file for a modification of child support. To have a chance at being successful on this request for modification, the parent must show a substantial change in circumstances. For example, if a parent was making $50,000 a the time the child support was set, but, after that point, the parent lost their job (through no fault of their own) and obtained new employment making only $30,000, that parent could argue that there has been a substantial change in circumstances and child support should be reset accordingly. There must be a substantial change in the income or financial circumstances of either parent, or the needs of the children; otherwise, a court will not modify the child support obligation.
By Patrick L. Meriwether, Partner, Meriwether & Tharp, LLC