Child Support

When you hire Rowland & Yauger to defend your interests, you can be confident that a solution to your problem is at hand. The experienced family law attorneys at Rowland & Yauger are here to listen, provide knowledgeable legal advice, and to offer effective help in these deeply distressing personal situations. Our experienced North Carolina family law attorneys are intimately familiar with the extremely complex issues of North Carolina child support laws. We are persuasive negotiators and strive to reach a just and fair agreement between our client and their spouse whenever possible. If an acceptable agreement cannot be reached, we vigorously pursue and protect your rights in court.

Parents have a legal duty to support their children to the best of their ability. Child support calculations are based on a proportion of each parent's gross income unless the judge is shown that the guideline number is less or more than the child actually needs. Whether you are seeking child support during separation or as part of the divorce settlement, Rowland & Yauger will seek the maximum amount available under North Carolina Child Support guidelines. Although we recommend that you speak with one of our experienced attorneys to fully understand your rights, we have provided North Carolina Child Support Calculators to assist you in estimating your child support.

A judge in North Carolina is permitted to raise or lower the guideline amount in cases where the guideline number is less or more than the child actually needs. Reasons for raising or lowering the amount from the guidelines include extraordinary health care costs, special education fees and transportation expenses to enable long-distance visitation. Deviation from state guidelines is completely within a judge's discretion in North Carolina.

Child support is available under North Carolina law during a child's minority (until age 18). If a child is otherwise emancipated prior to age 18, child support would end at that time. There are also three situations in which child support can run past 18:

• If a child is enrolled in high school and has not graduated by age 18, the child support will continue until age 20 or graduation from school, whichever comes first.
• The second exception covers a written agreement, signed by the parent, to pay support past age 18.
• The final exception to the rule that child support ends when the child is no longer a minor is made for a child who, after the age of 18, remains mentally or physically incapable of self-support, such as a child who needs long-term care. In this situation, the child support obligation under North Carolina law exists for as long as the child is incapable of self-support.

Child support orders may be modified to meet the changing circumstances of the children and either spouse. Rowland & Yauger will negotiate with your spouse or their attorney on your behalf if you want to change your child support order. If a fair agreement cannot be negotiated in light of changed circumstances, our seasoned attorneys will vigorously pursue a modification of the child support order on your behalf in court.

A child support order can be enforced against parents who fail to pay court ordered child support payments. If your child support is not being paid, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has a number of remedies to assist you in collecting payment at North Carolina Child Support Enforcement. If you desire the help of an attorney in collecting your child support, Rowland & Yauger will counsel and represent you in legal action to enforce your child support order.

Rowland & Yauger are capable and experienced North Carolina Family Law attorneys ready to answer your child support questions. Let us help you resolve these stressful and confidential matters with the knowledge, experience and personal attention you need.

We invite you to Contact us or call our office at 910-947-2280 or toll free at 888-850-0274 to learn more about your legal rights.

Our lawyers serve client in central North Carolina, including Carthage, Asheboro, Sandhills, Pittsboro, Raeford, Troy, Rockingham, Sanford, Laurinburg, Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen, Cameron, Foxfire, Pinebluff, Robbins, Southern Pines, Taylortown, Vass, Whispering Pines, Moore County, Chatham County, Hoke County, Lee County, Montgomery County, Randolph County, Richmond County, Scotland County, and Stanly County.