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Child support and spousal support are among the main stressors when it comes to marriage dissolution. This is partly because all parents want is to adequately care for their children and themselves. Therefore, the need for experienced, solid help is crucial for your peace of mind.
Patrick Baghdaserians is a Pasadena child support and spousal support lawyer and family law specialist working in the Los Angeles area. Patrick Baghdaserians has over a decade of experience and is someone you want on your side when dealing with child support and spousal support issues.
Accessing your support is critical to move forward with your life. When you need a dedicated Pasadena child and spousal support attorney to advocate for your rights in mediation or at court, Baghdaserians Law Group can help.
Child Support in Pasadena
A parent’s primary concern is their child’s well-being; receiving adequate child support is fundamental. Whenever the support of a minor child or an adult child for whom support is authorized is at issue, the court may order either parent or both parents to pay any amount necessary for the child’s support.
In the majority of cases, the parent who has primary physical custody of the child will be the one to collect child support. The parent who does not have primary physical custody will often be ordered to pay child support to their child’s other parent. However, in cases where both spouses share custody of their children and have equal parenting time, it may be possible to avoid implementing a Pasadena child support order altogether.
A minor child is a child under eighteen years of age. An adult child for whom support is authorized is an unmarried full-time high school student who is not self-supporting. Support should be provided until the child turns nineteen (19) or completes the 12th grade, whichever happens first.
The amount of child support one parent is set to receive is mathematically calculated. However, parents may stipulate a support amount below the uniform statewide guideline if certain conditions are met and the court approves the stipulation.
Some of the different factors that are taken into account when calculating the amount of a Pasadena child support order include:
- Both parent’s income and living expenses.
- Your existing child custody arrangement.
- Whether either parent has other children.
- Whether either parent has married or remarried.
If you have concerns that your child’s other parent could try to take advantage of you while trying to work out a child support agreement, you need a strong legal advocate on your side. Do not risk over-paying or losing out on the child support your child is entitled to by going into discussions without an attorney on your side.
You might also find yourself in need of a child support lawyer in Pasadena if you need to make modifications to your existing child support order. For your modification request to be granted, you will need to prove that doing so is in the best interests of your children. Requests for modifications can be given when either of the child’s parents gets a raise, loses their job, or remarries.
Spousal Support in Pasadena Divorces
In addition to receiving adequate child support, it is essential that one has the resources to take care of themselves adequately and can look out for their well-being. Spousal support can be both temporary and long-term.
Temporary Spousal Support
Temporary support is available when a marriage dissolution action is pending. In this case, the court may order either spouse to pay any amount necessary to support the other spouse. Generally speaking, the higher-earning spouse will be ordered to provide the lesser-earning spouse with temporary support to maintain their standard of living and hire a divorce attorney.
Regarding determining the amount of temporary support, the support may be ordered in any amount based on the party receiving support’s needs and the party paying the support’s ability to pay. The main reason for having temporary spousal support is to allow the spouse receiving the support to live in her or her accustomed manner while the action is still pending.
Long-Term Spousal Support
On the other hand, when it comes to long-term support, the court may order a party to pay spousal support to the other party in any amount and for any period the court deems reasonable. When determining an appropriate amount of spousal support, the court bases its decision on the marital standard of living.
However, if both spouses contributed financially to the marriage and one spouse does not earn considerably more, the courts may elect to deny a request for long-term spousal support in Pasadena.
The court has broad discretion and may fix support at an amount more significant than, equal to, or less than the amount the supported spouse may require to maintain the marital standard of living. In addition to the marital standard of living, the court considers other factors when determining an appropriate amount of spousal support.
For example, the court must consider about fourteen (14) circumstances. Within those fourteen (14) circumstances included (1) each party’s assets and obligations, (2) each party’s age and health, (3) the goal that the supported party is self-supporting within a reasonable amount of time, and much more.
If you suspect that your spouse is going to try to go after a considerable amount of alimony, or if you believe your spouse should be court-ordered to pay you spousal support, make sure you have an experienced spousal support lawyer in Pasadena to fight for your rights in court.
Additional factors a court may account for when determining whether spousal support is necessary, what type of spousal support is appropriate, and how much money spousal support payments should consist of include:
- The length of the marriage
- Whether either spouse was a victim of ongoing domestic abuse
- The lifestyle to which each spouse has grown accustomed
- Whether a marriage produced children
- Whether one spouse sacrificed a career or their earning potential to remain at home and raise the children while the other spouse worked
- Whether a spouse seeking alimony supported the other spouse during their marriage while they attended school or took, earned a professional license, different steps to optimize their earning potential
- Whether the spouse who may be required to make alimony payments will be able to do so without unreasonably jeopardizing their financial health
- Outstanding debts
- Property owned by both spouses
Spousal Support Termination in Pasadena
Before your divorce is finalized, a Pasadena spousal support lawyer can either:
- Demonstrate why you’re eligible to receive spousal support or
- Demonstrate why your soon-to-be ex’s request for spousal support shouldn’t be granted.
(If the court grants your spouse’s request for alimony, your lawyer can still show why you may not need to pay as much money as your spouse seeks. Or, they can show why alimony payments should stop after a certain period.)
There may also be instances when you can benefit from the assistance of a Pasadena spousal support attorney even after you’ve divorced your spouse.
For example, perhaps you’ve been ordered to pay alimony. You may one day petition the court to end spousal support if you believe it’s no longer necessary for you to make alimony payments. You might also petition the court to modify the terms of an existing spousal support termination order.
Common reasons to do so include (but aren’t necessarily limited to) the following:
- Your ex has entered a new marriage and no longer relies on you for support.
- Your ex has found new employment or no longer relies on alimony payments to maintain their financial health.
- You’ve lost a job, and there is reason to believe you won’t be able to find a job paying similar wages shortly.
- Your financial situation or that of your spouse has changed significantly, rendering an existing spousal support arrangement obsolete.
Petitioning the court to terminate or modify the terms of a spousal support arrangement doesn’t guarantee your request will immediately be granted. The experts at our Pasadena spousal support law firm can present a strong case demonstrating why terminating or modifying a spousal support order is justified.
On the other hand, maybe your ex is petitioning the court to terminate or modify an agreement, but you don’t believe this is appropriate given the current circumstances. In this scenario, a lawyer can still show why the court shouldn’t grant your ex’s request.
Get Help From a Child and Spousal Support Lawyer in Pasadena
Overall, the process of marriage dissolution can be very overwhelming. Adequate support, whether child support or spousal support, is vital. Therefore, when deciding who to turn to, having someone with experience on your side when dealing with child and spousal support is essential.
Patrick Baghdaserians is an experienced Pasadena child and spousal support lawyer and family law specialist who has handled many child and spousal support cases over a decade of experience. Regardless of the reason, divorce is challenging. Make the process easy for you; schedule a consultation with Patrick Baghdaserians.
When you can exercise your rights in dealing with child and spousal support issues, contact Baghdaserians Law Group to schedule your initial case review. You can reach our office by phone at 626-460-9525. Or fill out our quick contact form, and we will contact you to learn more about your child support troubles in Pasadena.
Further Information
Dealing with Refusal to Pay Child Support
Child Support 2024: Key Changes You Must Know
Dos and Don’ts of Child Support: Expert Tips for Parents
