What are you supposed to do about your monthly child support payments if you lost your job or make less money because of the pandemic?

The most important point to know is that you still owe your regular child support amount even if you lost your job or are making less money because of the pandemic. A child support order does not change unless you take the steps to change it. That means you should pay as much of your monthly child support obligation as you can even after losing your job or getting a pay cut. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, child support payments that are late start accruing interest at 6% per year. So the less you are behind in payments, the less interest you're racking up. Second, in case there is ever a child support enforcement case filed against you, continuing to pay as much as you can lets the judge know that you're doing your best to follow the Court's order.

If you've lost your job or changed jobs because of the pandemic, your first step should be to notify the Obligee (the person you pay child support to) and the Court via certified mail of your new employment situation. This should be done within seven days after your employment situation has changed. Generally, child support orders require this type of notice. Your second step should be to file a modification case seeking to lower your child support obligation as soon as you can. There's a good reason for not waiting to file a modification case to reduce child support. Regardless of when your child support modification case is resolved, the Court can make the reduction in child support retroactive to when the Obligee was served with notice of the modification case. So the sooner you file the modification case and serve the Obligee, the less time will go by before your child support obligation is reduced.

Unfortunately, unemployment, job loss and pay cuts are all too common during the pandemic, and with no end in sight to the pandemic, the cost of a child support modification case may be less in the long run than falling behind on child support payments you can no longer afford.

If you plan on filing for modification of child support and need assistance, contact Sugar Land divorce attorney Chikeersha Puvvada at 832-317-6705 or online today to schedule a free 30 minute consultation.