In Georgia, there are two ways to decide child support: A trial or a court-approved agreement between both parents. Parents who wish to negotiate child support must approach this process carefully. While alternative dispute resolution (ADR) can be less expensive and stressful than a trial, it also poses its own set of challenges. Learn more about these negotiations by contacting a child support lawyer in Georgia.
Understand the Benefits of ADR
When you understand the benefits of ADR, it may be easier to convince your ex to participate. Sometimes, parents seem intent on going to trial for child support. However, trials can be expensive and time-consuming. They can also be quite stressful for the entire family, including the children. Finally, trials are inherently public, and your family’s financial information could be exposed.
Understand the Basic Guidelines Set by the Court
Some parents mistakenly believe that when they negotiate child support, they can choose a lower-than-normal amount. However, parents should not deviate too far from the basic guidelines set by the family court. These formulas will likely dictate your child support amounts, even if you decide to negotiate privately instead of going to court.
If you are just going to follow these basic guidelines, then what is the point of negotiating child support in private? First, you and your ex might need to agree on other aspects of child support other than the monthly amounts. For example, you may need to agree on a system that ensures accountability for the receiving parent. This parent may agree to provide the payor a monthly summary on how they are spending the child support money, and this might give the payor more confidence about the arrangement.
Don’t Forget to Cover Extra Expenses
Parents might also need to discuss unexpected, extra expenses that might arise. For example, what happens when the child encounters a medical emergency? What if the child faces new educational expenses? What if they need to travel for medical care or school? These issues can lead to disputes if parents fail to plan ahead with detailed, extensive child support agreements.
Try to Be Fair
Remember, the family court probably won’t approve any agreement that is obviously unfair. As a result, both parents should strive for honesty and transparency during this negotiation process. Consider having a child support lawyer review the agreement before you put it in front of a judge. A child support lawyer can also assist during the negotiation process.
Can a Child Support Lawyer in Georgia Help Me?
If you want to negotiate child support with your ex, a child support lawyer in Georgia may be able to help. That said, ADR is always a voluntary process, and you will need your ex to cooperate if you want these negotiations to succeed. To learn more about ADR and child support, consider contacting Lankford & Moore Law today.
