Ohio child support lawyer Melissa Graham-Hurd has considerable experience in child support matters. When going to Court or CSEA (child support agency) regarding a determination of child support or modification of child support, Ms. Graham-Hurd’s knowledge can help you avoid pitfalls.
In any case where you are asking for child support, or asked to pay child support, certain items of information MUST be put before the Court or the child support agency. Please provide them to the office of Melissa Graham-Hurd at least ten (10) days prior to your court hearing concerning child support. Your failure to provide the information can result in a finding of contempt by the Court and higher legal fees for subsequent hearings, both of which should be avoided.
Income Items:
- Income tax returns (complete with W-2s or 1099s) for the past three years;
- The current year’s income you have earned up to the date of the hearing (or close to it), including pay statements;
- If you are paid bonuses or overtime, we must have a breakdown of these items by year for the last three years and a statement from the employer whether overtime or bonuses are reasonably likely to continue in the future. This is critical because the average of the last three years’ overtime, bonuses and commissions are included in the mandatory child support worksheet;
- If you get any “fringe” benefits, like a car allowance or meals, which are significant and reduce your monthly expenses, we need the value and verification of these items from your employer;
- If you are self-employed or have partnership or rental income, we need your Schedule C or E for the business for the last three years and documentation showing the current year’s earnings and expenses;
- Proof of all other income, such as commissions, royalties, rents, interest and dividends, social security, retirement, food stamps, state assistance, etc.; and
- If you are “voluntarily unemployed or underemployed”, we will need to show your job history for the past five years, a summary of your educational or vocational training, a statement from your treating doctor regarding any health or other medical problems which make it impossible for you to work full-time, or other good reasons why you no longer work.
Expense Items:
- Complete Affidavit of Income and Expenses;
- Proof from employer (or insurance provider) showing the cost of healthcare insurance for yourself and the cost for insuring the children’s health care needs (the difference between these two amounts is an item for the child support worksheet);
- Proof of childcare expenses (cancelled checks, statement from daycare provider and/or receipts) for this year and past years;
- Proof of any unusually large expenses for the children, such as speech therapy, tuition, medical expenses, allergies, etc.;
- Obligations for other minor or handicapped children;
- Proof of payment of child support for a child “not of this marriage”;
- Mandatory deductions from wages—other than taxes, retirement in lieu of social security, social security and Medicaid—such as union dues;
- Significant “in-kind” contributions you make for the children such as tuition to private school;
- Extraordinary expenses associated with parenting time; and
- Other unusual costs.
THIS INFORMATION IS INTENDED TO BE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE CHILD SUPPORT PROCESS AND IS NOT INTENDED AS LEGAL ADVICE ON YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. IT IS ONLY INTENDED TO ASSIST YOU IN UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS.
IF YOU SHOULD HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL THE OFFICE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT – 330-996-4099.
