Legal Question in Family Law in Oklahoma

Re: Child Support Modification

First and foremost you should include in your response a list of liabiltites and debts, not just income and assets. This will give the court the full picture of your financial situation.

Keep in mind that the mother can petitition the court for a modification of child support only if she can show a material change in circumstances. Examples of circumstances that may constitute a material change include: changes in employment, children growing older; substantial change in income, etc.

And finally, you can always petition the court for a change in custody so that you will have the child for the next three years and know exactly where the money is going.

Re: Child Support Modification

Child support in Maryland is calculated based on income, and sometimes potentially income-producing assets, and not on liabilities or living expenses (The law presumes that everyone has roughly similar expenses in families with similar numbers of people and similar incomes). An exception to this is that "ordinary and necessary expenses" related to the earning of income (union dues, special equipment which the worker has to pay for, overhead costs for a self-employed person are examples)can be deducted from a parent's income for the purpose of calculating support obligations. A change in child support must be based on a "material change in circumstances," which might be an increase or decrease in income, another child to support, or a change in work-related child care requirements. Since Maryland has an equal rights amendment to the state's constitution, both fathers and mothers are expected to contribute to the support of their children, and unless the mother is disabled or has another child under two years old, she should be expected to work and contribute financially. You should retain a lawyer to represent you in this matter to be sure that the support laws are properly applied in your particular case and that the mother is, if she is able, required to work and contribute to her child's support.