Child Support Agreements in Pennsylvania

When parents go through a divorce, they have no shortage of issues to resolve. Whether it involves physical custody, legal custody, or visitation, arrangements must be made that focus on the best interests of the child. If you do not gain physical custody of your child, or the right to attend to a child’s day-to-day needs, it is likely that you will have to pay child support.

Pittsburgh child support lawyer Anthony Piccirilli with Pittsburgh Divorce & Family Law, LLC appreciates that money is probably the last thing on your mind during this turbulent time. However, your input is crucial for determining a fair child support payment. He will do everything in his power to ensure that your finances are evaluated properly.

Defining Child Support Agreements

Simply put, child support are monthly payments made by a non-custodial parent. It is received by the custodial parent and its purpose is to maintain the child’s standard of living. Specifically, these funds are often spent on the child’s basic needs, such as education, housing, and food. Child support is not limited to bare necessities, however, and can also be applied to extracurricular activities, trips, and entertainment. While determining the amount of each child support payment involves meticulous planning, spending habits are not monitored at all. In most cases, the courts assume that a parent who is capable of attending to a child’s daily needs is capable of spending responsibly.

In all custody cases, a child support agreement is created. It outlines rules that must be followed by the non-custodial parent. This arrangement is part of a larger parenting agreement, one that covers all aspects of child custody. Parenting agreements often describe how physical and legal custody will be divided and describes a visitation schedule for the non-custodial parent.

How to Create an Agreement

Creating a child support agreement through peaceful negotiation is the most effective way of determining a child’s finances. This can be done in a completely informal setting or with the help of an experienced attorney or mediator. Supervised mediation can be helpful for resolving issues and ensuring that the agreement is fair. Not only will settling custody issues outside of court help your child’s transition feel seamless, it will help you avoid conflict in the future. A custody order is legally enforceable, meaning that neither party can violate the terms without consequence.

We do not provide mediation services, but are happy and willing to explain the process.

Apart from discussing the issue amongst themselves, parents can also arrange child support payments through the following methods:

• Allowing a judge to create an arrangement that is issued with the custody order
• Resolving any disagreements through alternative dispute resolution (ADR) proceedings, such as mediation and collaborative family therapy

Let Anthony Piccirilli Help You Today

If you and your co-parent are unable to agree on an amount for child support, the issue must be resolved through mediation or in court. If it is likely that you will be labeled as the parent without physical custody (the non-custodial parent), you may be worried about being taken advantage of financially. The calculation of child support can be confusing, and it is easy for the other parent’s lawyer to push for an outrageous amount.

The Pittsburgh custody lawyers at Pittsburgh Divorce & Family Law, LLC realize that going through a divorce can be a disheartening experience. Call (412) 471-5100 now to see how your case can be resolved in a way that is mutually beneficial.