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Understanding child support

May 13, 2022 | Child Custody & Support

Parents in West Virginia have an obligation to support their children financially. When parents divorce, they typically draft child support agreements to help ensure each parent is financially contributing his or her fair share to the children. The following offers some general information about child support and what parents can expect with regard to payments. 

Child support explained 

Child support is a monthly payment determined by the court that one parent pays to another following a divorce. The funds are intended to help with the costs of food, medical expenses, housing and other areas. The custodial parent, the one who has the kids most of the time and bears the majority of the costs in raising the children, is usually the recipient of child support payment, while the noncustodial parent makes the payments to the custodial parent. 

Child support payments are a legal requirement, and noncustodial parents must make these payments on time to avoid serious legal consequences. The paying parent typically remits funds through a child support enforcement agency. The amount of child support payments are usually calculated based on the income of the parents and the amount of time the noncustodial parent spends with the children.  

Help with child support 

If a parent in West Virginia is considering or already involved in the divorce process, he or she should seek the counsel of an experienced family law attorney at the first opportunity. A lawyer can explain all of a client’s rights and options with regard to child support. A lawyer can also assist with helping to ensure the child support payments are fair and assist with holding the other parent accountable if he or she does not make required child support payments.