ANNE ARUNDEL, CALVERT, CHARLES, ST. MARY’S & PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTIES.
Child Support | Haskell & Dyer
Child Support Should Be Fair, and Follow the Guidelines.
We make sure the numbers are right, whether you are seeking support or paying it, and we handle changes when life shifts. The goal is a fair amount that holds up and actually gets paid.
How the Number Is Set
Maryland uses guidelines, but the inputs matter.
Child support runs on a state formula, so it can feel fixed. It is not. The result depends on income, overnights, health care, child care, and other inputs, and getting those right changes the number. We make sure the figures going in are accurate and fair.
What We Handle
Setting, Changing, and Enforcing Support
Child support is not a one-time event. We handle it at every stage, on either side.
Getting It Right
Establishing Support
Whether you are seeking support or expecting to pay, we make sure the calculation uses accurate income and the right credits for overnights, health care, and child care. A clean number at the start prevents fights later.
When Things Change
Modifications and Enforcement
Jobs change, incomes shift, and sometimes payments stop. We help you modify support when circumstances change, and we go after unpaid support when the other parent will not pay what the order requires.
What We Help With
The Pieces of a Support Case
Support cases turn on the numbers and the follow-through. These are the parts we handle.
Establishing support
Calculating the guidelines
Modifications
Enforcement
Unpaid back support
Income disputes
Why It Matters
What Is on the Line
Child support is real money over many years. An accurate, enforceable order protects your children and you.
Fairness
A number based on the real figures
Your Kids
The support they are owed
Your Budget
An amount you can actually manage
Follow-Through
An order that gets enforced
The Numbers
What Counts, and Where People Go Wrong
The guideline formula is only as good as the numbers you put into it. The main inputs are both parents' incomes, the number of overnights with each parent, and certain costs the court credits.
A few things trip people up:
- Income is broader than a paycheck. Bonuses, commissions, and self-employment earnings can count.
- Credits for health insurance premiums and work-related child care can change the number, and they are easy to miss.
- Where one parent is voluntarily working below their ability, a court can base support on what they could earn.
- Very high combined incomes can move a case above the standard guideline range, where the analysis is different.
Getting the inputs right at the start is far easier than fixing a wrong order later. We make sure the figures reflect reality, so the support amount is fair to everyone, and especially to your children.
Attorney Insight
Child support runs on a formula, but the numbers you feed it decide everything. I've seen orders thousands of dollars off because someone guessed at income or missed a credit. Get the inputs right and the rest follows.
Matthew J. Dyer, Esq.
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer
How We Handle Support
We focus on accurate numbers and real enforcement, so the order is fair on paper and works in practice.
We Check the Math
We make sure the guideline calculation uses correct income and the right credits, so the number is accurate.
We Handle Disputes
When income is hidden or disputed, we dig into the real figures so the support amount reflects the truth.
We Modify When Life Changes
A lost job, a raise, a change in custody. We help you adjust support when your circumstances actually change.
We Enforce Unpaid Support
When payments stop, we use the tools the court provides to collect what your children are owed.
Common Questions
Child Support, Answered
How is child support calculated in Maryland?
Maryland uses guidelines that run on a formula. The main inputs are both parents' incomes, the number of overnights with each parent, and costs like health insurance and child care. Because the inputs drive the result, getting them right matters. We make sure the figures used in your calculation are accurate so the number is fair.
Can child support be changed after it's set?
Yes. Support can be modified when there is a significant change in circumstances, such as a meaningful change in either parent's income, a change in custody or overnights, or a change in the child's needs. The change has to be real and lasting, not temporary. We help you seek a modification, or respond to one, when your situation shifts.
What if the other parent won't pay?
Unpaid child support can be enforced. The court has tools to collect it, and unpaid support generally does not just disappear. If the other parent is behind, we help you pursue what is owed. If you have fallen behind and are facing enforcement, we help you respond and look for a workable path forward.
Does child support change if we share custody equally?
It can. The number of overnights with each parent is part of the calculation, so a more even split can affect the amount. It does not always cancel support out, though, because incomes still matter. We run the numbers for your actual schedule and incomes so you know what to expect rather than guessing.
Can we just agree on an amount ourselves?
Parents can agree, but a court still reviews child support to make sure it is fair to the child, and an agreement that strays far from the guidelines may not be approved. Putting any agreement in a proper, enforceable order also protects both of you later. We help you reach an agreement that the court will accept and that actually holds.
Make Sure the Number Is Right. Reach Out Today.
Whether you are seeking support, paying it, or dealing with a change, the figures and the follow-through matter. Reach out and we will make sure your child support is fair and enforceable.
Prefer to talk now? Reach us at 301-627-5844
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, LLC Practicing Law in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, and Prince George’s Counties.
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, LLC Practicing Law in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, and Prince George’s Counties.
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, LLC
Fax: 301-627-5848
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