Brentwood Child Support Attorneys
Parents are legally required to support their kids financially during childhood, regardless of whether the parents never married or if they married and later divorced. For divorcing or unmarried parents, Tennessee law publishes guidelines the courts can use to calculate the proper amount of child support and order the noncustodial parent or alternate residential parent to pay a monthly amount of support to the custodial or primary residential parent.
The Brentwood family law attorneys at Beal | Crutcher help parents navigate child support issues during their divorce. Our divorce lawyers are thoroughly familiar with the Tennessee Child Support Guidelines and can help ensure that the courts calculate the proper guideline amount so that both parents and the children are treated fairly. We also argue for or against deviations from the Guidelines when a different amount might be in the child’s best interests.
Learn more about child support in Tennessee below, and call Beal | Crutcher for help with child support and other matters related to your divorce in Brentwood.
How Our Brentwood Family Lawyers Help With Child Support
The Tennessee Child Support Guidelines is a thick document with numerous pages of worksheets and schedules; it would be difficult for someone new to the guidelines to calculate child support correctly. Our attorneys have years of experience working with the guidelines and can work through the calculations accurately and efficiently to let you know what you can expect when it comes to child support payments after your divorce.
Additionally, we can help make sure that all information is correctly reported for an accurate calculation. The guidelines take account of each parent’s income from every possible source. If you or your spouse has self-employment income, investments, or owns a business, we can help ensure that all income is included correctly for a child support amount that is fair to the parents and the children. If you think your spouse might be hiding or underreporting income, we’ll work with forensic accountants and other experts as needed to make sure you and your children don’t get shortchanged.
Beyond working to see that the Child Support Guidelines are followed correctly, we also provide advice and representation if either parent is seeking a deviation from the guidelines. The Guidelines amount is presumed to be the right amount of support, but either parent can challenge that amount, claiming it is inappropriate or unjust or that a different amount is in the child’s best interests. Courts have the authority to deviate from the guidelines but only if a deviation is supported by the evidence brought to the court. Justifications for a deviation might include:
- A child’s extraordinary medical needs
- A child’s extraordinary educational costs
- Extraordinary costs for extracurricular activities in the child’s best interest
- A parent’s significant travel and transportation costs associated with custodial parenting time
If you or your spouse are arguing for an up or down deviation from the Guidelines, we’ll provide strong legal advocacy for your position in court to ensure a fair and sufficient amount of support for your children.
Help With Child Support in Your Brentwood Divorce
You wouldn’t want to sell your children short or struggle to make ends meet because of an error in the child support calculations or a deviation from the Guidelines that should or shouldn’t have happened. Get the advice and assistance you need when it comes to child support by discussing your situation with a team of dedicated and experienced child support lawyers. In Brentwood, call the family law attorneys of Beal | Crutcher at 615-861-2304 so you can move forward knowing your children are being supported properly.
