It is simply impossible to anticipate at the time of your divorce all of the potential financial needs and changes that will occur as your children age. Child custody agreements are made at the time of a divorce and can be altered or updated as situations and needs change. Johnson Mediation of Chanhassen, MN can help you and your ex-spouse manage child support changes in order to minimize stress, conflict and the time it takes to get this done. A child support modification must be approved by the court but arriving at a solution can be managed by a mediator and the two willing ex-spouses.
Making Changes to A Child Support Agreement, MN
The Minnesota court system simply is not equipped to litigate each and every child support change. These types of changes can take weeks if not months to get through the court system and state resources are used that may not be necessary. Mediation, however, is ideally suited to help manage these types of changes, especially when both parties come together with an open mind and the common goal of putting the children from the marriage first.
There are many reasons why child support changes might be necessary. Some of the most common reasons include:
● Job change or salary increase (usually 10% or more);
● Job Loss or salary decrease (usually more than 10%);
● A significant change in the child’s needs including new medical expenses, educational expenses, age-related expenses, or cost-of-living increases.
It is important to keep in mind that the court generally considers that it is in the best interest of the child (or children) if the living arrangements in both homes are relatively equal.
Post-Divorce Mediation Help
Johnson Mediation has been providing divorce mediation and parenting support services to local couples for more than ten years. Jeff Johnson, founder of Johnson Mediation is a state qualified neutral mediator, social & financial early neutral evaluator, parenting time expeditor, parenting consultant, parenting coach and a parenting class instructor. If you have questions or concerns about a potential child support change, Jeff can sit down with you and discuss your options. Mediation offers a safe and constructive environment in which to discuss potential changes to a divorce settlement, custody agreement or parenting plan. Our team will work to make the process simple and straightforward and will also make sure that all documents that you agree upon will be easily approved by the courts. For more information about the services offered by Johnson Mediation, call (952) 401-7599.
