Westlake Village Child Support Attorney

Focused on Finding Solutions to Your Child Support Case

Children are often the biggest victims of divorce. Parents undergoing a divorce want to minimize the impact that these changes will have on their children. Even after the divorce has been finalized, they want to be sure that their children will still have the opportunity to thrive and achieve success. One of the substantial issues facing divorcing parents is the payment of child support. In many divorces, one of the parents will often be required to pay child support to ensure that the child’s needs are being met.

At the Law Offices of Stephanie L. Mahdavi, our attorneys have been helping families in Thousand Oaks and throughout Ventura County find answers to their child support concerns for over a decade. Our law firm is focused on family law issues, and lead Westlake Village child support attorney Stephanie L. Mahdavi is a California board-certified family law specialist, with over 19 years of experience handling these complex cases.

How Child Support Is Determined in California

When it comes to divorce, the court’s primary objective is to decide what is in the best interest of the child. Both parents have an obligation to support their children financially. At the Law Office of Stephanie L. Mahdavi, we always place an emphasis on properly educating the client of their parental rights and how to navigate the legal process. In California, child support determinations are based on a complicated formula, called child support guidelines. These guidelines take into account a variety of factors, including:

  • The number of children
  • The number of dependents you have
  • The child custody arrangement
  • Your income
  • Any mortgages you have
  • Health insurance costs
  • Tax deductions

Divorce is difficult for everyone involved. Many issues can become highly emotional and complex. Child support is an important component of divorce when children are involved. Our team of Westlake Village child support attorneys has extensive experience handling both sides of child support cases. We will perform a comprehensive evaluation of the factors present in your situation and advise you accordingly so that you know what to expect as things move forward.

Additional Factors to Consider in Child Support

Although there is a set number of guidelines to determine child support, your Westlake Village child support attorney can help bring other issues to the forefront that can make a difference in child support determination. Some of these issues include:

  • Timeshare
  • traveling expenses
  • Age of the child or children
  • Standard of lying prior to the divorce or separation
  • The needs to the child
  • The parent’s ability to make child support payments
  • Child support from other relationships

The goal is to ensure that your child is getting the best care and support they need. The needs of the child are always at the forefront in every case regardless of the circumstances. It is not about the parents at this stage and you will both need to really think about what is best for your child regardless of your penal feelings or each other. Once all factors are taken into account by the court, a determination will need to be made by a judge and a payment schedule arranged. You will need to have a Westlake Village child support attorney by your side to ensure you get the best possible outcome for your child.

How Income is Determined in a Child Support Case

Most child support payments will be determined by the court using a computer program. In some cases, however, this cannot be done and the judge will need to take a personal approach to calculate support. Cases that may require this attention can be:

  • One parent is not spending time with the child or contributing in any way
  • Both parents spend equal time and involvement with the child
  • The child has a medical condition that requires special care or mediation
  • One parent has a high income and the computer program calculates higher support than what they need

These are unique circumstances that should not be handled alone by the parent. You will need a Westlake Village child support attorney to help you get the best results for your child.

Does Timeshare Play a Role?

Many clients will think that child support and child custody go hand in hand but they do not. The reality is they are two separate issues and will be handled as such. Custody can play a small role but it does not mean that either parent will be exempt from paying child support. Another mistake that some parents make is trying to make their own child support or custody arrangement.

No matter how amicable the separation was, you should always have something in writing from the court. Paternity is a major issue that needs to be determined before child support can begin. If paternity is not established, child support cannot proceed. It is your right as a mother or a father to establish child support.

A timeshare can play a role in the amount of child support you may be entitled to or have to pay. The involvement of each parent will play a role in this. Timeshare will need to be determined prior to support being determined.

Schedule a Consultation With a Westlake Village Child Support Attorney

Determining child support can often get complicated. It is important to have an experienced Westlake Village child support attorney on your side. From the moment a client visits our law office for an initial consultation, our legal team takes the time to address all of their questions and options. Our focus is to always place the needs of the client first. We utilize an aggressive and comprehensive approach to help each client achieve their goals. To learn more about the issues at stake in your child support matter, please contact an experienced member of our legal team by calling our Westlake Village office at 805-379-4550 or by sending us an email. Our attorneys look forward to helping you obtain the right child support award in your case.

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