Las Vegas Child Support Attorney
Child support contributes to the financial wellbeing of many Las Vegas area children. If you are facing divorce or have a child with someone to whom you are not married, determining how much child support you are entitled to receive or obligated pay is likely of great concern to you, as it will affect your life and your child(ren)’s life for years into the future. The Las Vegas child support attorneys at Ghandi Deeter Blackham Law Offices help clients establish fair child support arrangements and assist with child support modifications and child support enforcement when there is an issue with a standing child support order.
Nevada Child Support Law
Child support is the financial support of minor children, intended to provide food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities. In Nevada, child support is a percentage of gross monthly income earned by a parent. Gross monthly income is all income received each month, generally including salary, wages, bonuses, and commissions from employment, as well as any money from royalties, dividends, or a trust. When one parent has primary physical custody of the child(ren), the other parent is typically the one to make child support payments based on Nevada’s child support guidelines (18% of gross income for one child; 25% of gross income for two children; 29% for three children; and so on). If parents share joint custody, the parent with more income typically pays child support to maintain the child(ren)’s standard of living in two households.
Deviating from the Nevada Child Support Guidelines
While Nevada’s child support guidelines may work in straightforward cases, a court can adjust the amount of child support if the standard percentages provide a number that would be unfair to a parent or child(ren). Indeed, Nevada has a high guidelines deviation rate—the guidelines are not applied in over 35% of child support cases. Factors causing courts to deviate from the child support guidelines include responsibility for other children, the payer being unable to pay the minimum amount ($100 per month), the child(ren)’s time with each parent, the cost of health insurance, and the cost of childcare.
If the Nevada child support guidelines do not produce a result that accurately reflects your financial circumstances, our Las Vegas child support attorneys understand how to present a strong case for deviating from the child support guidelines to meet the needs of your child(ren) and bear out the financial means of you and your child’s other parent.
Learn More About Child Support in Nevada
If you have questions about child support in Nevada—whether you are seeking to establish child support upon divorce, modify a current child support order, or enforce child support payments—our Las Vegas child support attorneys can help. Please call our office and schedule an appointment to speak with a lawyer well-versed in the Nevada child support system.
