How to Lower Child Support

Sometimes it's necessary to reduce child support.

Lowering your child support is sometimes necessary due to changes within your household or place of employment. In some cases, you can get the payment lowered that better suits your needs.

Things You'll Need

• Financial statement
• Receipts
• Canceled checks
• Pay stubs

Instructions

1. Call or visit your local child support office and let someone there know that there have been changes in your circumstances and ask if you can get the child support lowered. The representative will send you a financial statement to fill out; if you have visited the office, you can pick one up.

2. Go through your current household bills and add them to the financial statement from the child support payment. Make sure you include all household bills on this paper--the hearing officer will use it to determine child support for you.

3. Keep receipts of bills or canceled checks written out for these bills for your upcoming child support hearing. If you pay bills with a credit card or debit card, take that statement. If your rent has increased or decreased, that should also be listed on this sheet.

4. Arrange for paternity tests if you believe that the child whom the support is for is not yours. Note that the parent who asks for a paternity test usually pays the $200 fee for this test.

5. Show up at your child support hearing with all your receipts in hand along with the financial statement. Dress respectably; do not dress down to win the hearing officer's sympathy, as the officer tends to see through that charade.

Tips & Warnings

• Honesty is always the best policy.

• On occasion, the judgment does not go the way that you expect. Be prepared to accept if this happens.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish