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How Does Child Support Work When the Father Has no Job in Tacoma, WA?

On Behalf of | Jun 26, 2020 | Family Law

Divorce tends to end in child custody agreements where children are involved. The parents’ past and present employment records are used to calculate their obligation or how much they should contribute to their child’s needs.

However, in some situations, the non-custodial parent may be unemployed or lack a stable employment history. What happens to their obligation? Are they exempted from child support? In this post, we answer the question, ‘how does child support work if the father has no job?’

Contact an expert Tacoma Divorce Attorney if you are having any child support-related problems.

What Happens to Child Support If You Lose Your Job?

Losing one’s job can be frightening. It could significantly affect your ability to provide for your children or keep up with child support payments. Nonetheless, unemployment does not exempt you from paying child support. In fact, child support orders remain in effect even when a parent loses their job.

Generally, a parent’s child support obligation calculations are usually based on their imputed income rather than their actual earnings. This means that they continue to pay child support as if they were employed.

In some situations, however, the obligation may be calculated on the actual income. This is a special consideration for non-custodial parents whose unemployment is involuntary and who continue to make efforts to seek employment.

As such, they may pay less child support than they usually would until they find employment.

What Should You Do If You Lose Your Job?

Remember, you are still mandated to pay child support while unemployed. Skipping payments could lead to accumulation of interest or charges of contempt. If you lose your job, check to see you are eligible for unemployment benefits.

If you are, notify the unemployment office of your child support obligation. They will deduct the payments from your unemployment wages.  If you do not qualify for unemployment benefits, work with a Tacoma Divorce Attorney to document your employment search.

Once you get a job, you should make your payments through check until they can be deducted from your income. You may need to pay a slightly higher amount for a certain period to cover your period of unemployment.

Can a Child Support Order Be Changed?

Unfortunately, sometimes, a non-custodial parent could fall on difficult times. They could fail to secure either employment or unemployment benefits. When this happens, they should notify the court and seek a modification of the child support order.

Filing for modification is not often a straightforward process. Parents should acquire legal representation and submit their requests as soon as possible. This should help prevent them from falling behind on child support payments.

Contact a Tacoma Divorce Attorney for Assistance

We know that no one plans to lose their job. Nonetheless, the need to support your children does not become terminate when one parent is unemployed. Because child support can last for many years, the obligation of a non-custodial parent must be calculated using the proper figures.

Do you have more questions about how child support works if the father has no job? Do you need help with a child support case? Please contact Alliance Law Group today to speak to an experienced Tacoma Divorce Attorney.

Call Today 253-300-2055