Child Support Lawyers in Covington

Need Assistance Determining Support? Contact Our Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky Child Support Lawyers

It is important to have experienced Covington child support lawyers by your side when you are determining child custody and child support. Having the right legal team ensures that any child support agreement is fair and covers all regular expenses for your children. Although child support can be a contentious part of a divorce with children, ideally, both parents want what is best for their children and act accordingly. Divorces and issues related to child custody and child support rarely go smoothly, but child support is generally set based on a formula that considers several factors.

Generally, only the non-custodial parent makes monthly child support payments. The assumption is that the custodial parent covers more than their fair share by providing a home, utilities, food, clothing, and other essentials. The amount of child support depends on each parent’s income and the number of children to be supported. An Adams Law child support attorney can guide you through this difficult time. We help families in Northern Kentucky, throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and in Southern Ohio from our Covington office.

How is the Amount of Child Support Determined?

An online child support estimator, along with state-provided worksheets, can help you estimate how much you may pay or receive in child support. The estimator considers each parent's gross income—including salary, wages, bonuses, job commissions, or military pensions. An unemployed parent might have income from social security, unemployment, disability benefits, or workers’ compensation that will also be considered. Public assistance like food stamps is generally not counted when determining child support.

If a parent quits a job or refuses to work to avoid paying child support, the court may impute income based on what that parent could reasonably be earning. For example, if you have an advanced degree but opt for a minimum wage job by choice, the court could use your potential earning capacity to set child support. A parent with a disability or one caring for small children is generally less likely to have their income imputed.

How Can Child Support Be Used?

Child support payments in Kentucky may be used for a variety of important expenses, ensuring comprehensive support for the child's well-being:

• Basic living expenses: Costs such as housing, utilities, food, and clothing are the foundation of support payments.
• Medical expenses: Child support may be applied to costs not covered by insurance, including co-pays, deductibles, surgeries, or medical devices such as braces or eyeglasses.
• Education and school costs: Payments can cover items like tutoring, books, school trips, and meals, as well as fees for advanced education or special needs services.
• Childcare or daycare fees: These funds help address the needs of working parents during school breaks, summer months, holidays, and after-school care.
• Transportation and travel: Costs for maintaining a family vehicle, insurance, or even public transportation fares are also eligible.
• Extracurricular activities: Support may be used for club fees, sports gear, summer camps, or scouting programs, aligning to the child's unique interests.

In Covington and throughout Kentucky, courts recognize that every family has different needs, so the allowed uses for child support can also vary depending on the child's age, unique requirements, or financial demands. For instance, a child with medical conditions may require ongoing treatments or therapies that add to monthly expenses. If the child participates in multiple extracurricular activities, those costs can add up quickly, and careful planning is essential to cover all needs. Parents facing these complex situations benefit from legal guidance to ensure fair allocation and reduce disputes about expenses. Consulting with a child support attorney in Covington can provide clarity if questions or disagreements arise about how payments should be used.

Parents must carry health insurance for their children (or apply for Medicaid), but additional health care costs usually arise. Child support can be used for extra medical expenses such as co-pays, deductibles, and surgery, as well as items like braces, casts, eyeglasses, or other special medical needs. Even if a child attends public school, other expenses—including tutoring, books, and school trips—may be covered by child support. If either parent works, support may help pay for daycare, childcare during summer months, spring break, holidays, or specialized equipment for athletics.

Child support can also cover costs related to basic transportation, including maintaining the family car, car insurance, or bus fares in areas with public transportation. Child support may also be used for fees associated with extracurricular activities, such as summer camp, sports programs, or scouting. The parent receiving child support may not use the child’s funds for their own personal expenses.

When Does Child Support End, and Can the Amount Be Altered?

In Kentucky, child support payments generally continue until the child turns 18—or 19 if the child is still in high school. Under some circumstances, the court may require the paying parent to continue supporting a special needs child who cannot live independently for a longer period.

Enforcement of Child Support Orders in Covington

Enforcing a child support order is crucial to ensure that the child's needs are consistently met. In Covington and throughout Kentucky, the local court system works alongside the Kentucky Child Support Enforcement Program to help custodial parents collect court-ordered payments. If a parent falls behind, the law offers remedies, including wage garnishments, tax refund intercepts, and, in some cases, suspension of business or driver's licenses until payments are brought current. These tools are designed to protect the child’s interests while avoiding unnecessary conflict.

If you experience missed or late payments, keeping track of incidents and contacting the appropriate agency or your attorney is the most effective way to protect your child's access to resources. The process usually involves filing a formal request with the Kenton County Family Court, which then reviews the matter and may take action to secure compliance. While some parents hesitate to involve the courts, timely intervention can prevent further arrears and clarify everyone’s responsibilities. If you need help with enforcement, a child support lawyer in Covington can explain your rights, gather the necessary documentation, and represent your interests during local legal proceedings.

• Notifying the other parent and requesting payment informally
• Filing a motion for contempt or enforcement in Kenton County Family Court
• Potential garnishment of wages or bank accounts
• Interception of state or federal tax refunds
• Suspension of licenses if obligations remain unmet
• Requesting periodic reviews of support arrangements if circumstances have changed

Our team at Adams Law offers practical guidance and support, making the enforcement process clearer and less overwhelming for parents throughout Covington and Northern Kentucky.