How do I Receive More Child Support in North Carolina

Caring for a child can be an unpredictable endeavor. Young people have a tendency to act in erratic ways, and it can be a challenge to raise these youngsters. New expenses seem to pop up without warning, and even the most conservative budgets can fall short as we try to provide for our growing children. If you are raising your child with funds received from child support payments, these unexpected factors can pose quite a challenge. You may be wondering whether you can ask for more child support in order to deal with new, unforeseen expenses.

If you need more child support money, the first thing you need to do is get in touch with an experienced family law attorney in North Carolina. Our legal professionals can guide you in the right direction. Modifying child support is not always easy, but the task becomes much easier when you are working with one of our experienced divorce attorneys.

When Can You Ask for More Child Support?

You cannot simply target="_blank"ask for more child support money out of the blue. In order to modify your child support order, there needs to be a significant “change in circumstances.” In other words, the life of your child and your ability to provide for them must have changed since you agreed to the initial child support order. There are many examples of how this might happen:

New Athletic Expenses: Perhaps your child has become an exceptional athlete. There may be all kinds of new expenses to deal with at this point. These include new training programs, advanced equipment, travel expenses to tournaments in another state, and much more. Your ex may be required to pay additional child support in order to cover these expenses.
Medical Costs: There are many examples of how medical costs may impact your ability to care for your children effectively with your existing child support funds. Perhaps your child had an accident and requires extensive care. Maybe they require psychological counseling after a traumatic incident. Or maybe they simply need to get some dental work done. These are all examples of unforeseen expenses that could arise, requiring you to modify your child support order.
Educational Costs: Maybe your child has exhibited incredible academic potential, and you believe that they are better suited to life in a private school. However, your child support payments may not be enough to cover the tuition. If you believe that your child should have access to increased academic opportunities, you may ask the court to modify your child support to include these new tuition costs.
Summer Camps: Perhaps your child is old enough to attend summer camps, and you want to give them this opportunity to laugh, explore, and become more independent. However, summer camps can be expensive, and it is not always easy to find the money for this endeavor. You can modify your child support order to make sure that you are receiving the necessary funds to send your child to camp. Courts in North Carolina have a long history of including summer camp costs in child support orders as “extraordinary expenses.”

Modifying Your Child Support Order

If you believe that you have a legitimate reason to ask for more child support, you can work with an attorney to modify your child support order. If these expenses are considered legitimate, you have every chance of receiving more money to care for your child.

When Can You Not Ask for More Child Support?

There are many new expenses that do not justify an increase in child support. Even though these expenses might be “unexpected,” you cannot modify your child support order as a result - even if they involve caring for your child. “Incidentals” such as paying for a meal out and other frivolous expenses are not considered extraordinary expenses. You cannot start eating out at fancy restaurants every night and claim that you need more child support in order to cover these expenses. Anything that goes beyond the normal child support payments is considered voluntary.

Enlist the Help of a Qualified Attorney Today

If you have been searching the North Carolina area for a qualified, experienced family law attorney, look no further than Arnold Smith, PLLC. We have considerable experience with all aspects of a divorce, including contentious issues like child support. We can help you modify your child support order so that you have what you need to raise your child effectively. No child should be left without the necessary expenses to enjoy their life to the fullest. Reach out today, and we can get your child the child support they need to live a happy, healthy childhood.