Just wondering...I've been divorced now for 6 yrs and never has the support re-evaluated, its been the same since then!!...Do most people get increases in their child support?? I know its a bit of a personally question so if you want to PM me...that fine. People (family & friends) keep telling me I NEED to do this, and I know I should but dont want to appear greedy (though those boys are growing and eating SOOOO much lately...) All the verbal abuse I have gotten from ex in the past has be terrified to re-open the case cause I know things will get all mean again. So I'm torn on what I should do!! I got talking to one lady about this and in her divorce it was set up that once a year there was an automatic increase and she thought it was crazy I've gone 6 yrs with no increase...

I have never dealt with it before but I have a friend who was getting $1K a month in child support for her 2 girls. Over the course of 5 years, her ex's salary doubled she got it "adjusted" and gets about $1400 a month now. I know she had to get a lawyer and they live in different states. If your ex makes more money than he used to, I would probably go for an increase. It should be dealt with by a lawyer, not you so you shouldn't have to deal with nastiness unless he gets visitation. I wish you luck in your decision

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I'm just going through this now. I don't if all states are different or not but here the non custodial parent has to provide a copy of the W2 every year. That way you should know if the ex is making more money each year or not. I would say that if he's not making a lot more, it's probably not going to be worth it for you to take it back to court for re-evaluation. But if he's made quite a bit more money over the course of 6 years, have it re-evaulated. Your expenses have obviously increased with the huge increases in food and gas alone. I know the child support is a percentage of the wages earned but they also take into account what you make, if anything...at least that's the case here in Tennessee. I have 2 kids and get almost $1400 a month also plus he pays for the health insurance and all uncovered medical and dental bills and I also get spousal support. This is all temporary until we go back to court for the final divorce. It may change as his wages did increase in 2006 over 2005, which is what the original amount was based upon.

I'm in the same situation. It's been over three years for me and I have never had an increase. When we divorced ex was without a job and I settled for what I could get. I spoke to my attorney and he told me that when I was ready I could go after more child support and that it would be based on what he is capable of making and not his actual earnings. Not sure if this is the guideline in our state. I live out of state now and it's not going to be easy for me to see my attorney. He also told me that I could request more child support at any time that there wasn't any time frame...i.e waiting 2 years. He did also say that if you go through DSS they will not go after what an attorney could go after and perhaps DSS would base it on actual earnings. Honestly I want to go for more CS but it scares me to think about doing it. The ex is such a jerk and doesn't pay his fair share as it is. Amazing though how much money he spends...seems to have money for everything but his kids!

Mine has always went down guess it depends on your situation when I first went to court dd was 3 & in daycare so we had that expense & the ex had a job. Now he hasnt worked in years & dd isnt in daycare anymore so it was lowered significantly although it dont matter my ex dont pay anyways I just gave up on that finally.

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mom of 3 greats girls

You don't need a lawyer to do this. Trust me, I paid so much to my attorney to get divorced I refused to pay them anymore!!! You can call your child support office and fill out the paper work, then they will assign a family court date. You just show up and they take it from there. Here in NY it is based on a percentage of your salary and the number of kids, 17% for 1 kid, 25% for two kids. When my ex changed jobs and his salary changed, the child support (which was taken from his check directly) was adjusted because of this.

As a side note, be glad you are getting something, my ex is in arrears for a significant amount and I am still patiently waiting for him to catch up. (He decided to stop working and go back to college at 47) Everytime I see people use DH in a post, it doesn't mean dear husband to me, more like d*ck head!!

Good Luck!

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*******If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
But if life gives you limes....make margaritas!!!*******

My mom has collected child support for my sisters, and brothers basically since we were born (still gets it for the youngest two who are 20)..I've also known a few other people to go through this process (NY state), it is re-evaluated every 3 yrs here. I think you can request a re-eval earlier than that too if necessary. It's true also that you do not need a lawyer either, can you simply call your child support unit and request the paperwork, mail it back and a court date will be set up. It's not difficult at all, and you can do that without the aid of a lawyer.

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If you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now, quiet! The're about to announce the lottery numbers... - Homer Simpson

Everytime I see people use DH in a post, it doesn't mean dear husband to me, more like d*ck head!!

LOLOL! I couldn't agree more - I think the same thing. My ex doesn't pay what he is supposed to now - and it's just not worth the hassle to me to tangle with him on it NOW. BUT, I am diligently keeping up with EVERYTHING and the day will come when I'll go after him.
He too, quit work to supposedly go back to school. In actuality, his poor current wife (who makes a boat load of money) supports him while he does nothing. But the courts don't look at just what he does make - but what he is capable of making.

And another thing, while it took 7 months of begging, pleading and pestering to get him to give me $200 of his $250 part to start on some of ds' dental work - four days later, he left on a 5 week African Safari/hunting trip! Poor thing!

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Mom to 3 - one with 2 legs and 2with 4!

I am always amazed how many men don't pay child support, it simply p#sses me off! My DH has a child from a previous marriage, and has always paid his child support on time every time for over 10 yrs! I don't think I could be married to someone who didn't pay, let alone have a child with that man.
How a man treats his first ex and first children is the same way he is going to treat the second or third if things don't work out!

Since I have never had to deal with getting child support, maybe I'm not qualified to give advice. But 6 yrs with out any adjustments to me seems unexceptable! I think you should at least look into it, I know a lot of states do worksheets to base the amount, fill one out, you don't have anything to lose, YOUR kids deserve it!

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Chicago Bears!!!!
We are the Bears Shufflin' Crew
Shufflin' on down, doin' it for you.
We're so bad we know we're good.
Blowin' your mind like we knew we would.
You know we're just struttin' for fun
Struttin' our stuff for everyone.
We're not here to start no trouble.
We're just here to do the Super Bowl Shuffle.

Well I agree who would want to be with a looser who cant support thier kids or have kids with someone who dont pay on the first I couldnt ever understand this one either. As for going after your ex for more just remember what I said mine has always went down so I guess its a gamble.

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mom of 3 greats girls

When I went full time w/ my job, and started sending my son to daycare, I had to pay for a modification. In PA, it is 15$, they then set up a conference, you both show up w/ proff of job insurance, etc. they do the figuring per your state and there regulations, they then give you the numbers, and you can either agree to the amount or if your ex pouts you cxn agree to a lesser amount. I would def. get a lawyer though. I got screwd the other 3 times we went to court but the last time I had a lawyer, I got what I should, no ex pouting and me agrreeing to a lesser amount, I did agree to hime not owing me 1300, for back support for when I put the order for modification in till we had the hearing, I also agreed to pay 100% medical, even though it's technically 250 I pay, and then split after that.
I get no extra from him at all, and he occasionally ask me to give hime some of the money back, LOL!
You def. need to talk w/ someone though, and find out what your states requiremnts are, because they WILL NOT modify it, unless YOU PUSH the ISSUE

LMAO. Never thought of it that way.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

My ex ownes 3 homes, has his own business and only pays $235 a month. He has managed to "hide" his money. He's the tightest man with money you'll ever met and everytime something comes up about money, he blames EVERYTHING on me and "MY" child. Here's an example of how CHEAP he is.....he has dumpster dived for about 2 years behind the local Food Lion for old meat (we've been off for 4 years), well last week, he got brave and went inside the FL and told the manager that they had sold him old meat and he wanted his money back or new meat. They scanned the meat, bells, whistles went off (my Best Friend works there, she was there), he ran out the store, jumped in his truck, they got his plate number. He crossed the VA/NC line to get to his house and had 2 VB policemen waiting for him. He was arrested for theft, crossing the state line to avoid being arrested, and resisting arrest, and trespassing. He blamed everything on me, told the cops that he had to dumpster dive b/c I demanded so much money from him for child support. I can't wait till the court date...

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Proud Single Mother to 18 year old Twins Ashley/Davey, 14 year old Shawna, 5 year old Emma, and my Boo Bear, "Angel Hope" (1996-1997) RIP Boo.

OMG Tammy thats too funny I cant believe anyone would actually stoop that low. But I know how it goes my ex does some pretty strange stuff & yes everythings my fault because he pays a whole $50 a month ROFL & that $50 is just so they dont throw him in jail

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mom of 3 greats girls

In Michigan...at least Wayne County, you have to fill out paper work from "The Friend of the Court" to request a support review and modification. They will in turn send the person paying support a notice to fill out about what they are currently making and where they work. You then get a court date, which can be months away and they will use a chart to determine if the support should be raised or lowered. A person can only request this once every two years, but the person paying support is "supposed" to notify the court of any pay increase...but they rarely do.

To keep things from getting ugly with your ex it is a good idea in my opinion to give him a heads up that you will be going back to court to have it reviewed. Believe it or not I know many people who are able to work it out amongst themselves before heading into court.

Also you need to take into account if you are working and/or making more money than when the initial support order was made. They will also take that into consideration, both parents are supposed to report any changes in income.

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#3 Gone To Race In A Better Place...

Many men can be so greety with their kids and when the kids are old enough to know things they want to act all different as if they always been there for them. I left my baby daddy when I was pregnant and went through some rough ropes, but won at the end. As soon as the words that ain't my child came out of his mouth I went straight to court for a court date so we could settle an appointment for a DNA test and I was willing to pay for it if I was lying about him being my childs father. Finally bling, bling the court date arrived and he showed up trying to look all tough as if things were going to be a piece of cake. I spoke a few words stating I has a relationship with him for 3 years and left knowing I was pregnant, but he refuses he fathered the baby I was expecting. I gave the judge my due date and I got an appointment for a DNA 2 weeks after my child was born it was towards the end of August and we had to go to court 1 week after the DNA. Although he refused he was the dad both of parents came to support me at the hospital as they have been through my pregnancy and all the drama with him. The day of the court date his parent showed up by suprice because I told them I really wanted them there. The judge called him and I up to the stand and I asked the judge if his parent could come up too and he agreed. He asked his parents a few questions to get a little more information from another side and before he was going to read the results he told him "I am going to give you a chance to sign the birth certificate to your son and work out a deal with the mother for child support. Do you want to take my offer or do you wish to continue?" The jerk still in the judge face said NO I want to continue because that is not my child she left me and has someone else. Bla, Bla said the judge and then came YOU ARE 99.9% THE FATHER. He tried to trow a fit and say it was a trick bla, bla and the judge said now are you ready fort he child support order which will be eefective as of the date the baby was born and for not helping the mom while she was pregnant with food, transportation to your child appointments and being there you need to give her $400 for that and as far as the child support he said to me What do you feel is right for you? I told him I feel $130 per week should be acceptable according to the pay table of what he does claim on his w-4 because he has his own business and used other's info to write check ti himself as he would pay other for the favor and I stated all that in court along with financial information from the company as I was the one who used to runt he office so before he grab me for a su(ker like he thought I don't think so at the end he was going to be hurting. I ended up getting sole custody, supervised visitation for the 1 years and now they are every other weekend, $130 per week and now it's up to $175, he pays all medical including co-pays, medicines, has to pay $50 month to the college account and half of my daycare expenses and at the end who lost? He did. Now today I am married with a wonderful husband and the only man my son has ever lived with and treat him like his own. I have a good job, a few properties, a new car and what does he have today not 1/2 of what I have accomplished.

My advise to women who get child support or to those that don't get anything get your behing moving around like I did it's hard and stressful, but at the end it pays off and not for you, but because children have needs and and the more you can provide to them the better if they were good enough to habe a good time in bed they should be good enough to pay even if they don't want to be a part in their kids life.

I don't understand most guys. I myself pay alot in childsupport compared to what I make. I have to live with family at 7 because I can't afford to have a place of my own with what they take out and have no problems paying it either. I have got better jobs but where I live she can only do it once ever few years with state law so I just send it straight to her or to my son. Yes a laywer can get you more money than CCS can and yes he should pay as much as he can afford if he or she is out buying lots of "Stuff" ....I own a tv and clothing along with a bed nothing else, heck I don't even have my car payed off yet but that is my problem not hers or my childs. Do I like having to pay ......NO but he is my son so yes I will pay because I make my son so I should take care of him. I wish more men and women had my way of thinking and no one would go without child support like they do and it's sad they have to. Only thing I don't like is my ex is remarried and her husband makes twice as much as I do, she makes ALOT of money as a nurse, and she gets support for 2 other kids of hers. So she makes out really well while I suffer. Between us three guys we pay for her house and truck payment and their money is just that theirs. But that doesn't stop me from wanting to pay just upsets me at times. I wish all of you the best but check the laws in your states before you try to get more money from them and if they can afford it by all means go get the money for your child. Good luck to you all........and yes this comes from a guy