How to Know When Your Orange County Child Support Case is Worth the Fight and When That Fight is Foolish

In this article, we look at an issue that is sometimes simple, often contested and every once in a while very complicated – Orange County child support cases. When does it make sense to contest child support and when should Family Court and the attorney fees that accompany it be avoided? We answers those questions here. – B. Robert Farzad

Orange County child support cases generally fall into the following three categories:

1. W2 wage earner(s) without contested visitation issues;
2. Self employed parent(s) with fluctuating incomes; and
3. Contested visitation cases and timeshare disputes.

Let’s go through each one:

1. The Orange County child support case with W2 wage earners who agree on their respective visitation schedule

This is the simplest of all Orange County child support cases. If one or both parents are W2 employees (meaning a paycheck and taxes are taken from each paycheck) and they both agree on their respective time share with the child or children (for example 50/50, 70/30 or some other split of time), then child support should be resolved in about 15 minutes. Since “guideline” child support in Orange County (like every county) is calculated by the use of a computer program (programs are either dissomaster or x-spouse, depending on the user), inputting this simple data 99 out of 100 times produces the correct child support number. You may wonder, “that’s it? It’s just those two factors?” No, there is a bit more involved like mortgage interest deductions that one or both parents pay, the out of pocket cost of health insurance for the children, child care costs, mandatory retirements deducted from pay (which very few employers do) and others but, for the most part, all of that data is very easily gathered and inputted. These are the types of cases that should never see the inside of a Orange County Family Court. Unfortunately, these cases are also the bulk of contested cases and why an agency like the Department of Child Support Services exists in Orange County and every other County in the State.

2. The Orange County child support case with self employed income earner or earners

Self employment income almost always causes friction between parents on child support cases. The parent who is self employed often claims he or she makes less than what the other parent alleges. Since income is a factor is child support, it’s sometimes necessary to engage in litigation and “discovery” (formal requests for information) to determine what that self employment income may be. Forensic accountants are hired if the disagreement is a large one and the self employed parent makes a significant amount of money more than the other.

3. The Orange County child support case with disputed visitation and time share with the children

Whether or not a parent or both are W2 wage earners or self employed, a disagreement on the actual amount of time each spends with the child or children is the single most important factor in calculating child support. In fact, in many cases, a time share of a parent can make the issue of income matter very little to the ultimate child support amount.

For example, let’s say there are two children and the father makes $100,000.00 per year. Let’s also assume the mother doesn’t have an income but the father claims she should be working and can earn up to $30,000.00 per year. Assume also that the father has a minimal time share with the children – for our hypothetical 5%. In such a situation, the mother’s lack of income or even imputed (assumed) income at $30,000.00 per year makes very little difference to the ultimate child support amount. How? Why? That is where an experienced Orange county child support lawyer can help. We will sit down with you and show you different scenarios and the impact on child support before you ever even consider stepping in Court. Knowledge is more than power. Knowledge is a money saver.

Cases that involve time share disputes often result from a lack of a custody order, vague orders or parents who have decided between themselves to divert from Court orders. These are resolved in the following ways: (1) A hearing is held where both parents testify, produce visitation logs and witnesses who can attest to time share. Children can even testify in such cases, depending on the age of the child, or (2) The parents settle on a time share going forward and that time share being written in an agreement which the Court then approves.

Which is best? Settlement? Litigation? That is something you will learn once you consult with us. We analyze every important aspect of your case to give you the best options.

Child support litigation in Orange County family law cases should be litigated wisely. Running into Family Court unprepared can lead to unintended results and even monetary sanctions against you if you take an unreasonable position. Farzad & Mazarei’s experienced Orange County child support lawyers will sit down with you, learn about your case and its facts and provide you with valuable insight into your case and the options you have before proceeding forward to obtain child support or defend a claim against you. Contact us today for a free confidential consultation.