Child support is the financial contribution made by one parent to help support his/her child. If you believe you pay too much or receive too little child support, Nevada law generally allows either parent to request support modifications. A recalculation will be done if any of the following is true:
- If you have an existing Court order for child support, you may request a modification by law every 3 years;
- If there is a change in the number of dependents. For example, if you have had one or more new children (stepchildren not included), the Court may consider decreasing your child support;
- If your child has special needs such as extraordinary medical expenses, school-related expenses or other expenses, the Court may consider increasing child support;
- If you provide health insurance for your minor children, the Court may consider decreasing your child support payment to account for your payments of medical premiums;
- Transportation costs may also be a reason to increase or decrease child support. For example, if you are the parent providing transportation for all visits, the Court may consider the cost of transportation in a request for modification;
- If your income has gone up or down by at least 20%, the Court will consider modifying child support;
- If your custody has changed. For example, if you previously had joint custody and now you have primary custody, the court will consider a modification of child support
While this list is not exhaustive, these are the most common examples of situations where the Court will consider a modification of child support. If you believe that child support should be lowered or raised, you should see an attorney and take action immediately. Do not sit on your rights. If you believe you may be entitled to a child support change, it is important to understand that not all modifications are retroactive and there may be a time limit applicable if the Court determines to apply a modification retroactively.
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If you need help with a child support case call our office today at (702) 433-2889 or fill out our on-line form for more information.
