Virginia parents who are contemplating a divorce may be interested in an article discussing an important part of the process. Child support orders can be vital in providing income necessary to care for a child after a divorce.
When a Virginia court issues a child support order, it must contain certain information under state law. The order must first contain identifying information about the child that is the subject of the support order, including their name and Social Security number. The amount of the monthly support payments and whether health coverage for the child is to be provided must also be spelled out in the order. Alternatively, the order could dictate a cash payment that must be made to cover health care for the child. The order should state the length of time that the support payments will be required, which includes several situations where the child will continue to receive support after turning 18.
In addition to that information, the order must contain various notices. These include a notice that the child support payments may be withheld from the payor’s income and that the payor’s licenses to engage in a trade or business may be suspended due to delinquent payments. Also, notice must be provided that the payor’s driver’s license may also be suspended or not renewed due to unpaid child support payments. The order should also contain various other provisions dealing with back payments and modifications of the order.
Understanding the issues that come with a child support order can be difficult without the assistance of an attorney who has experience in family law matters. There are often times when a parent who has been ordered to pay child support becomes unable to do so due to circumstances such as a job loss, and the attorney can assist such a client in filing a petition for a modification of the order.
Source: Legislative Information System, ” Chapter 4.1 – Support “, January 06, 2015