California Child Support Laws

One of the most difficult matters anyone can face is family legal matters, specifically in relation to children. Whether you are struggling with a custody battle, visitation rights, or child support disagreements, you need someone on your side to help you sort through the case. 

Don’t deal with this alone, especially without understanding everything you can do to make your case strong in the eyes of the California court system. A family lawyer from The Law Office of Laurence J. Brock is here to help you navigate your case.

What is Child Support?

Child support in the State of California is defined as ongoing payments to help cover the living and medical expenses of a child or children until they are adults. Legally, both parents are considered to be responsible for the support of their child. As a result of this, a court may consider ordering both parents to pay child support. 

Though your case information is not open to the public, any documents filed in court or information taken by the county recorder are public records. 

Parents who are ordered to pay child support are required to pay until the child turns 18. In certain cases, such as if the child is still attending high school full-time and is unmarried, a parent may have to pay support until the child is 19. In special circumstances, you may be required to pay support after the child is well into adulthood.

The Pass-Through Law

California’s child support laws recently went through a change. If you notice you’re getting more money for your children through the state’s CalWORKS program, changes to the pass-through law went into effect this year. The money passed through to you for child support may have gone up by up to $200 if you have more than one child living with you.

However, this does not mean if you are the parent paying child support that you will be asked to pay more money. According to the State of California, the law allows families to keep more money for child support while the government keeps less in regard to reimbursement benefits.

In addition, the law also does not impact the amount of money you receive through the CalWORKS program. You should not see a decrease in the money you are getting. You should instead receive needed funds to help you with child care and necessities for your children, without worrying about being unable to afford other things. 

Opening a Child Support Case

Child support agreements can be tough, and what may have worked for you and the other parent in the past may not work now. Because of this, you may need to create or modify a child support agreement, which can be tough without a lawyer. 

If you are someone who needs child support, there are three main options for opening a case:

• Apply Online – You can choose to apply using the forms online at California Child Support Services. After filling out your forms, you will then be contacted by your local agency.
• Apply by Mail-In – You can request to have your application mailed to your address. Once filled out, you will have the option to give it to your local agency in person or mail it in.
• Download Application – The third option for filling out your form is through the application download. Similar to the mail-in option, your downloaded forms will be filled out and then you will either choose to mail them to your local agency or drop them off in person.

Child Support Enforcement

If the person paying child support in your case moves out of California, you do not have to fear. Child support laws can be enforced throughout the United States, as well as in many foreign countries. 

If the other parent moves, you should contact your local child support agency. In some situations, you may be required to file an interstate case. Due to California law, if you already have a child support order in place, other states are not allowed to change the state’s court order. 

Get Information About Your Child Support Case 

If you have questions about your child support case or are in need of help filing one, don’t deal with it alone. Having an experienced attorney on your side will help you navigate through the muddy waters of the California court system.

The family law attorneys at The Law Office of Laurence J. Brock are here to represent your Rancho Cucamonga child support case and help you along the way. Give us a call at 909-466-7661 or fill out our online contact form to request a consultation.