Experienced Guidance for Families Navigating Child Support Matters
When parents separate or divorce, few issues feel as overwhelming as determining child support. Your child depends on you for stability, care, and financial security, and you deserve clear guidance that helps you protect their future. At the Law Office of Stephen E. Robertson, PLLC, our experienced Greensboro and Durham child support attorneys have been helping North Carolina families for more than 20 years. We understand how emotional these cases can be, and we are committed to helping parents reach resolutions that are fair, practical, and fully aligned with the best interests of their children.
Whether you are seeking support, modifying an existing order, or facing difficulties with enforcement, our team is here to support you at every step. We combine extensive legal knowledge with genuine compassion for what you and your family are going through. With our attorneys at your side, you can move forward confidently, knowing your rights and your child’s well-being are protected.
Understanding Child Support in North Carolina
Child support is a financial obligation that ensures both parents contribute to the care and upbringing of their children. North Carolina law requires that both parents provide support that reflects their ability to meet the child’s needs. When parents no longer live together, child support becomes a structured way to maintain consistency and stability for the child across two households.
Child support typically covers a wide range of expenses, including housing, food, clothing, education, health care, transportation, and other daily needs. The goal is not to reward or punish either parent. Instead, the purpose is to replicate, as closely as possible, the financial situation the child would have experienced if the family had remained together.
Our Greensboro and Durham child support lawyers help parents understand their rights, evaluate their financial obligations, and navigate every requirement under North Carolina law.
How Child Support Is Calculated in North Carolina
One of the most common and important questions parents ask is how child support payments are determined. North Carolina uses the income shares model to calculate child support. This method estimates the amount parents would have spent on their child if they had remained together and divides that amount proportionally based on each parent’s income.
This model is considered one of the fairest approaches because it considers the financial contributions of both parents, not just the income of the parent who will pay support.
Learn how we can help with Child Custody
Key Factors Used in Child Support Calculations
A number of factors influence the final support amount, including:
- Each parent’s annual gross income
- The number of minor children shared by the parents
- Health care costs, including health insurance premiums
- Work related childcare expenses
- Extraordinary expenses that are necessary and reasonable
- Existing child support obligations for children from other relationships
- Potential income for parents who are voluntarily unemployed or underemployed
Gross Income
Gross income includes wages, salaries, commissions, self employment income, rental income, military allowances, bonuses, and other types of revenue. Accurately documenting income is essential for a fair calculation.
Childcare and Healthcare Costs
These expenses often significantly affect support obligations. North Carolina guidelines allow parents to include work related childcare, health insurance premiums, and uninsured medical expenses.
Extraordinary Expenses
These may include costs related to specialized education, transportation for visitation in long distance parenting arrangements, or medical treatments. The court will evaluate whether these expenses should be shared between parents.
Our attorneys can help you gather the documentation you need, calculate your potential payments under the guidelines, and prepare for any issues that may affect your case.
When the Child Support Guidelines Do Not Apply
For most families, North Carolina’s child support guidelines provide a straightforward way to calculate support. However, the guidelines do not apply when parents have a combined income of more than $25,000 per month. In these higher income cases, child support must be determined outside of the standard formula.
Judicial Discretion in High Income Cases
When the guidelines do not apply, judges have broad discretion to determine a child support amount that meets the reasonable needs of the child. The court may look at:
- The child’s accustomed standard of living
- Educational expectations
- Medical needs
- Extracurricular activities
- Household expenses in each home
- The parents’ financial resources, assets, and obligations
High income child support cases often require detailed financial analysis, expert testimony, and strategic planning. Our attorneys have extensive experience handling complex child support matters and can advocate for a fair and reasonable outcome.
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Modifying an Existing Child Support Order
Child support orders are not permanent. Life changes, and parents often experience shifts in income, employment, health, or family structure that may require a modification of support.
North Carolina allows either parent to request a modification if they can show a substantial change in circumstances. Examples include:
- A significant increase or decrease in income
- Job loss or change in employment
- Changes in health care or childcare costs
- Changes in the child’s needs
- A change in custody arrangements
- A parent becoming responsible for additional children
The court will review current financial information and compare it to the circumstances that existed when the original order was entered. If the court determines that a substantial change has occurred, the order may be adjusted.
We assist parents who need help requesting a modification and those who wish to contest a proposed change by the other parent.
North Carolina Child Custody FAQ
Child support covers basic needs such as food, clothing, housing, education, medical care, transportation, and more. It may also include childcare expenses, health insurance premiums, and extraordinary costs like tutoring or medical treatments.
Parents may reach an agreement on child support, but the court must approve the final amount. The court will evaluate whether the agreement meets the needs of the child and is fair to both parents.
Parents who do not pay court ordered support may face enforcement actions such as wage garnishment, license suspension, tax refund interception, or contempt of court. Serious cases can result in fines or jail time.
Yes. Child support can be modified if there is a substantial change in circumstances such as a job loss, significant changes in income, or changes in childcare or medical needs.
Remarriage does not automatically change child support obligations. However, the financial resources of a new spouse may be reviewed in certain situations, such as when determining extraordinary expenses.
The timeline varies depending on whether the case is contested, whether financial documents are readily available, and whether the parents resolve issues through negotiation, collaborative law, or litigation.
If a parent reduces their income intentionally to avoid paying support, the court can calculate support based on potential income rather than actual income.
Support usually ends at age 18, or upon graduation from high school if the child turns 18 during their final academic year. Certain exceptions apply for children with disabilities or special needs.
The amount depends on your income, the other parent’s income, custody arrangements, childcare costs, medical expenses, and other guideline factors. Our attorneys can calculate an estimate based on your specific circumstances.
Why Hire Us?
- Results You Can Count On
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