Irvine Child Support Lawyer

Using Over Ten Years of Experience to Achieve Child Support Results

Attorney Serving Orange County - Riverside County - Los Angeles County

At the Law Offices of Melanie L. Oldham, we use over ten years of experience in California family law to help guide parents through the family law system. We help our Orange, Riverside, and Los Angeles County clients determine child support outside of marriage or as part of the divorce process. We also seek modification of existing child support orders when circumstance substantially change. And we help parents with enforcement of child support orders if a parent refuses to pay.

The California Child Support Guidelines

In California, child support is generally based on a statutory calculation. The calculations — often referred to as the child support guidelines — are based on financial input by both parents that can change depending on several variables. Parents should know that the guidelines are not necessarily easy to determine. For example, guidelines are simple to calculate with parents who earn traditional salaries. On the other hand, the guideline is far more difficult to determine when parents earn income from non-traditional income sources, like investors, entrepreneurs or small business owners.

Errors in determining the correct variables for the guideline calculation can lead to costly results. Such mistakes may ultimately keep your child from receiving the valuable support they deserve.

When you visit our law office in Irvine, Ms. Oldham will talk with you about the financial issues that may affect your child's support determination. We will discuss problem areas that may arise, including finding undisclosed income or valuing the cash flow available for support from non-traditional business income.

Changing Child Support

When the financial circumstances of either parent substantially change, it may be possible for Ms. Oldham to request that the court modify an existing child support order, either upward or downward, depending on your needs. At the Law Offices of Melanie L. Oldham, we can help. If you cannot pay an existing child support order, it is critical to have the order modified before you fall behind on payments. Failure to pay child support — even if you have good reason — may result in serious consequences, including the inability to renew professional licenses.

Contact the Law Offices of Melanie L. Oldham

Contact us by calling 949-622-5522 for a consultation with an experienced lawyer about your child support needs. Off-site, evening and weekend appointments are available for our clients' convenience. We accept all major credit cards.