When two California parents are not together, both are still responsible for providing financial support for their minor children. In most cases, this means that one parent will likely be required to pay child support to the custodial parent. However, there may be some cases when the parents decide to stop the child support payments.
One reason parents may stop child support payments is if they get back together. If both parents are living together and sharing full financial obligations, there is no reason for one parent to continue to pay child support to the other. In this case, the custodial parent will need to go to court and ask to stop receiving child support.
The other reasons a parent may stop receiving child support is if the custodial parent’s financial situation changed or the noncustodial parent’s financial situation changed. For example, if the custodial parent gets a new job or comes into money through an inheritance, they could potentially opt to stop the child support payments or the noncustodial parent could ask to have the child support order modified. Likewise, if the noncustodial parent loses their job, they could ask to stop the child support payments.
When the court is determining how much child support a noncustodial parent should pay, it utilizes child support guidelines that take both parent’s financial situation into account. If a noncustodial parent suddenly cannot afford the child support payments as ordered, a family law attorney may assist with seeking a modification of the existing child support order. The attorney may provide financial records that show that the noncustodial parents lost their job or had sudden medical issues that prevented them from being able to earn a paycheck. If the court agrees that the child support payments should be reduced, a new modified child support order will be signed.
