can I raise child support?

[ucisoon2bpt]

What is the name of your state?Missouri
I have been divorced for 2 years. I have one daughter (age 5). My ex does pay child support in the amount of $300 a month. At the time of the divorce, we didn't know how much he was making, where he was working, so they based the child support amount off only my salary. Circumstances since then have changed dramatically. He has gotten a new job and makes $4000 a month. I am in college full time and working as well. I am in a federally funded program that allows me to work at my college between classes. I make significantly less than i did before (minimum wage). Childcare cost have raised, my rent has been raised, and I am not making ends meet. I can't afford clothes, car insurance, etc. etc. Is there any way I can find out exactly how much he makes? How much he should be paying in child support? is there free legal help around? I am not money-hungry..I am thankful he pays what he does on-time...but in my mind, he should make sure that his daughter's standard of living is at least close to his? BTW, if it makes a difference, he has a live-in girlfriend, so they have 2 incomes . She also has 2 kids whom my ex helps take care of financially. They rent a huge house, new car, new cell phones, etc.etc. I am not asking for much...I think about $100 xtra a month would help to cover xtra rent and new daycare costs.

 

[Phnx02]

What is the name of your state?Missouri
I have been divorced for 2 years. I have one daughter (age 5). My ex does pay child support in the amount of $300 a month. At the time of the divorce, we didn't know how much he was making, where he was working, so they based the child support amount off only my salary. Circumstances since then have changed dramatically. He has gotten a new job and makes $4000 a month. I am in college full time and working as well. I am in a federally funded program that allows me to work at my college between classes. I make significantly less than i did before (minimum wage). Childcare cost have raised, my rent has been raised, and I am not making ends meet. I can't afford clothes, car insurance, etc. etc. Is there any way I can find out exactly how much he makes? How much he should be paying in child support? is there free legal help around? I am not money-hungry..I am thankful he pays what he does on-time...but in my mind, he should make sure that his daughter's standard of living is at least close to his? BTW, if it makes a difference, he has a live-in girlfriend, so they have 2 incomes . She also has 2 kids whom my ex helps take care of financially. They rent a huge house, new car, new cell phones, etc.etc. I am not asking for much...I think about $100 xtra a month would help to cover xtra rent and new daycare costs.

Of course you can ask for a modification. If your CS is currently going thru the state CSE office (a free service), you can ask them to review his current salary for a possible increase. However, keep in mind that this takes along time......many times months and months.....because they are a government agency and have 1,000's of other cases to deal with every day. Also, if you use the state, in many instances, they will only do a review once every 2-4 years, depending on your state law. If you can afford an attorney, you can seek a modification before/in between this time period......money will buy you just about anything. I don't know of a single company (besides the state) that will do an employment check for free. There are many that will do this for a fee, but more than likely, you will need to know his SS# - especially if you don't know his current place of employment. They will need this to do a search. Once you know his current income, you can get an idea of what his CS obligation should be by researching your state guidelines on this. It will depend on his current earnings, and whether or not he has any other children. If he has other children to support, this will be considered when determining how much (more) each child should get. Sometimes your income will be considered,....but usually this is only a factor if you are making MORE money than him since your original order. In other words, if you are making more, then your share should increase accordingly. Regardless, a new spouse's income will NOT be considered.....even though he (or you) may have an additional household income, that raises his standard of living, it is not the spouse's responsibility to pay CS for a child that is not theirs.

Kudos to you for returning to school! It will be well worth it! I was a single mom forever and struggled financially forever.....didn't get much in CS.....but once I got my BS, my income tripled, and I was no longer so dependant on CS to make ends meet!

 

[ucisoon2bpt]

Thank you!!

Thank you for your reply and knowledge/advice. I am now debating on what to do, as I cannot afford a lawyer. In reply to a few of your questions...we don't go through the state, he writes the check directly to me. I do know his SSN (many years he was in the military and I had to memorize this number for benefits). He doesn't have a new spouse, she is just a live-in girlfriend. I knew her income wouldn't count, I was just trying to prove that they have more than enough money and don't struggle for anything (WE stuggle to buy toilet paper!!!). Anyways...thanks for your kudos about school. It was a very big step and in a way, it made it harder for my daughter and I (I am not getting 40 hours, a full paycheck, etc.) BUT....I know when I get my degree I will make MORE than enough money to support my daughter and myself. I will no longer have to depend on anyone AND we will always have a closet stocked full of toilet paper!!!

 

[stealth2]

Also, be aware that your decreased income will not make much difference, even if your state uses a shared income model - because it was apparently a voluntary decrease.