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Depending upon how old the child is, a child support order can be in place for seventeen or eighteen years. If you think about how many changes in the lives of the parties and the children are possible, it would be highly unlikely that there would be no occasion to modify the child support order. A Seattle divorce attorney can help clients modify Washington State child support orders all the time for a variety of reasons. Some child support orders contain language about when the order can be modified. Absent this language, a support order may be modified upon a substantial change of circumstances of one or both parties. The phrase “substantial change of circumstances” is a term of art in the law, and your Seattle divorce attorney can explain its meaning to you. If your order does not contain language regarding modification, consult a Seattle divorce attorney to see if you might qualify for a modification. In setting the standards for child support modification, Washington State family law must balance the needs of children living with one parent for consistent support with a parent’s ability to pay. A Washington child support order is just like any other court order: the obligor (paying party) must abide by its terms until it has been modified by competent court. However, unemployment, layoffs, and injuries are some of the circumstances in which a Seattle divorce attorney may help an obligor with a modification. Child support orders may also be modified without a substantial change of circumstances every two years. Again, the goal of family law is to provide consistent and predictable support for children. It is unfortunate that some parents do not honor support orders, and Seattle divorce attorneys spend a lot of time in court trying to enforce their client’s orders. However, the reality is that when circumstances change—layoffs, injuries, firings, incarceration—it may be impossible for a parent to pay. In these cases, it is better to modify an order rather than let a person who cannot pay accumulate a back support obligation. If you are having trouble paying your child support obligation because of a change in income or circumstances, contact a Seattle divorce attorney at McKinley Irvin today. Our Seattle divorce attorneys have handled hundreds of modification cases, and can advise you on your case as well.
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