In a grand gesture of thanks to the many people who pay child support, and the individuals at the Colorado Department of Human Services who enforce child support payments, Governor Hickenlooper declared this past August child support enforcement month.  In moving with such an announcement, it is also relevant, firstly, for the general public to have an understanding of what exactly is child support.

Child support is a way for courts to legally enforce a parent to pay another parent what is considered a reasonable amount to care for a child.  In Colorado, C.R.S. Statute 14-10-115 outlines the basic guidelines for child support generally.

There are two very important guidelines to realize about child support in Colorado:

1. Generally, a parent is potentially liable for child support payments until the child turns 19 (not 18 as commonly thought).

2.  Ninety-three is a golden number.  There are two calculations for determining child support payments in Colorado, one is based on shared physical care, and the other based on sole physical care.  A parent must have at least 93 overnights in one year before the court will consider parents to have shared physical care.  For example, if you are a parent who cares for a child for 92 nights out of the year, the other parent is still considered to have sole physical care of the child.

Further, if child support has been put from pen to paper, and a parent does not pay the support, the Colorado Department of Human Services division of Child Support Enforcement is used to bridge the gap so that children are not the ones who lose out in that situation.

The consequences of not paying child support include: garnishment of wages, losing one’s driver’s license, liens on property, losing a professional license, or even jail time.

Therefore, if you find yourself in need of child support, or defending yourself against having to pay child support, the Law Office of Peter Loyd Weber & Associates can help you.  Let us help you navigate the legal process and get an outcome you desire.

Categories: Child Support, Divorce Law