How to Legally Avoid Paying Child Support in Oklahoma
A married couple has a legal obligation to support for their children. When parents divorce, this obligation continues to reside with the child. It is required that both parents continue to provide financial support for the child until he turns 18. One parent may, on the other hand, be struggling financially and unable to provide for their child. If this is the case, there are several specific ways that can help you avoid paying child support in Oklahoma.
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Child Support in Oklahoma
In most cases, Oklahoma child support is mandatory. After a divorce, child support is meant to ensure that both parents are financially responsible for the child. Once paternity has been established, a parent can be ordered to pay child support, even if they were unaware of the kid’s existence.
Child support payments in Oklahoma are overseen by the Oklahoma Department of Revenue. They help Oklahoma citizens with locating parents, establishing paternity, determining assets, and establish and modify child support orders. This allows a parent to take immediate action in case the other parent does not pay their child support payments on time. It is possible for them to accept and distribute payments. Additionally, they offer parenting classes for those who require it.
How is Child Support Determined in Oklahoma
There is a distinction between child custody and child support. Parental responsibility is the process of determining who has legal and/or physical custody over the child. A joint parenting arrangement is one where both parents share responsibility, while a solo parenting arrangement means that only one parent is in charge. Parent who does not have primary custody of the child is usually responsible for child support payments. Determining custody is generally done through Oklahoma family courts.
It might be difficult to determine who pays child support and how much is owed. They use the Income Shares Model which takes into account a number of monetary considerations for both parents, including:
- Wages and salary
- Bonuses, commissions, and tips
- Disability benefits
- Property ownership
- Spousal support
- Social Security payments
- Retirement and pension plans
- Unemployment assistance
- Other forms of compensation through self-employed or contractor work
After calculating the total amount of a parent’s gross wages, deductions are made. Taxes, extra spousal support, and any additional child support payments are included in this category. By employing particular state-mandated rules, the total amount of money you need to pay is calculated based on this net amount.
It is not uncommon for parents to pay child support until their child becomes 18 years old. If the child has a disability or has graduated from high school after the age of 18, there may be specific conditions that extend the payment period.
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How to Stop Child Support Payments in Oklahoma
It’s possible to alter the amount of child support payments. Likewise, there are requirements that must be satisfied, and it might be difficult to alter payment computations or schedules in this case. Only when one parent can prove that the other has undergone a significant and ongoing financial shift will it be considered a possibility. An example might be a change in job position or receiving a large sum of money, such as from an inheritance or winning the lottery
Stopping child support payments in Oklahoma can be even more difficult, but it can be done. Some ways to do this include:
- An agreement between the parents: Child support payments can be waived or ended if both parents agree. A judge has the authority to override this agreement if he or she believes it is unfair. If both parents claim they don’t need it, the judge can nonetheless order treatment. On the whole, judges follow parental agreements unless they feel one of the parents acted dishonestly.
- Give up your parental rights: A parent can decide to do this, but they will have to meet particular state standards. It is not necessary to pay child support when a parent relinquishes their parental rights. However, this also means that they no longer have any influence in what the child does, and they can no longer request visitation rights. In some cases, the custodial parent may ask the non-custodial parent to relinquish their rights. This is usually done when the custodial parent has a new partner who wants to formally adopt the child, or when they don’t want the youngster to know the other parent.
- Terminating any child support agreement: If the child reaches the age of 18, the support arrangement will be null and void unless there are extraordinary circumstances. In addition, if one of the parents dies, the program is automatically ended. If you lose your employment or go to prison, the court could cancel the arrangement. Instead of discontinuing payments, the court will be more likely to modify them.