Legal Question in Family Law in Missouri

Child support -emancipation

I pay court ordered child support, lump sum for two children. One child is emancipated, the other is not. My question is: What is the best way to decide whether I should file a motion to modify? I don�t want to acquire legal fees for little or no change in the court ordered child support sum.


Asked on 10/03/08, 5:26 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Michael R. Nack Michael R. Nack, Attorney at Law

Re: Child support -emancipation

You should calculate what your current child support obligation would be for the child who is not emancipated, and then decide whether you will save money by modifying the existing court order down to the one child support figure after considering the costs and attorney's fees involved. For instance, if the younger child is fifteen years old, and the new child support figure will be $100 less than the current figure, you will save at last $3600 in child support up until the child reaches the age of eighteen, and even more if that child is still in highschool, and even more if that child enrolls in college full time by October 1 after finishing high school. Since most attorneys will charge between $1500 and $2500 for a modification, it would make sense to seek a modification in this example. If you have all of the necessary information to calculate the child support figure and would like to telephone me for a free consultation please feel free to do so.

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Answered on 10/03/08, 11:28 pm


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