Blog

When parents decide that they no longer wish to parent under the same roof, certain legal decisions must be made. First, issues pertaining to child custody and parenting plans must be sorted out. Once these matters are determined, child support orders are generally made. In most situations, the parent who retains fewer annual days of physical custody with the child is ordered to pay child support. However, significant inequities in parental income combined with unique parental placement arrangements may result in a different outcome.

Determining child support and navigating child support disputes can be frustrating processes. But with the help of an experienced family law attorney, these processes are rarely too challenging upfront. What remains challenging for some families is navigating the actual payment, receipt and tax consequences of child support orders. Thankfully, new technology is helping to make these matters easier for parents to sort out.

For example, a new product entitled SupportPay was recently featured in The New York Times. This product allows parents to access third-party payment systems, payment calendaring, tax management programs and schedule management tools. This program and others like it may help both those parents who owe and receive child support more easily navigate some of the practical issues associated with this form of support.

Of course, if you have legal questions about child support matters or need to modify your order in some way, it is important that you consult an attorney. However, new technology may be an excellent everyday solution to navigating fairly common child support issues.

Source: The New York Times, “Software for Sorting Out Child Support,” Quentin Hardy, Dec. 26, 2013