Financial support is an important consideration in divorce and custody cases. Ideally it strikes a balance between one party's needs and the other party's ability to pay, but sometimes the statutory formula doesn't apply or the court misses the mark.
Kvale Antonelli & Raj advocates for fairness and accuracy in the determination of child support and spousal support. Our Cleveland attorneys handle divorce and paternity cases in Northeast Ohio, as well as post-decree proceedings to modify court-ordered support.
What Is The Right Amount Of Support?
The Ohio child support guidelines are based on the incomes of each parent, the number of children, the percentage of parenting time and other factors. These are a good starting point, but there may be reasons to deviate up or down. For instance, a self-employed parent may be underreporting income or the parents' combined incomes may exceed the guidelines. We also take into account unreimbursed child care and health care costs, special needs of the child and whether the parents will subsidize college costs.
Spousal support ("alimony") is less predictable. There are statutory guidelines, but a judge ultimately decides the amount and duration or whether support is merited at all. We have extensive experience negotiating and litigating spousal support, including petitions to modify or terminate support payments for a qualifying change of circumstances.
Kvale Antonelli & Raj also helps clients pursue remedies for unpaid child support or spousal support, including wage garnishments and contempt of court proceedings.
We understand the hardships that arise when support levels are calculated incorrectly or obligations are not met. Arrange a consultation with our Cleveland lawyers by calling 216-861-2222 or contact us online.
