Child Support

Roseville, Minnesota Child Support Lawyer

We handle child support matters for clients in the Twin Cities metro area, including:

• Child support agreements in divorce proceedings.
• Post-divorce child support modifications
• Paternity motions involving child support

Support & Changing Financial Factors

We frequently represent clients in child support or spousal maintenance modification matters. Modification matters can be complex and demand an in-depth knowledge of the modification law and applicable case law. Many clients come to us for representation in either attempting to modify their child support or spousal maintenance obligation downward or to increase the child support or spousal maintenance due to them. Modification of support orders is governed by Minnesota Statute § 518.64 and there is a substantial body of case law governing this area.

If you pay child support or spousal maintenance, and you lose your job, it is important to contact an experienced attorney as soon your financial circumstances change to immediately commence a modification action. On the other hand, if you receive child support or spousal maintenance and suspect that the payor's income has substantially increased, you need to immediately commence a modification action. Timing is critical as the relief from the Court is often granted retroactive to the date of filing of the Motion.

If You Are The Father Of A Child Born Out Of Wedlock

It is important to understand that unmarried fathers are given no paternity rights, unless they petition the court, even if they have signed a Recognition of Parentage form at the hospital when the child was born. However child support may be taken from a father even before his legal rights are established, retroactively in some cases, for up to two years.

• You could be ordered to pay child support as the result of a paternity action or as a result of signing a Recognition of Parentage.
   
• To obtain custody or have visitation rights, it's important to have your case heard in family court, rather than by a child support magistrate. Child support magistrates have no jurisdiction over custody or visitation matters
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• You could be ordered to pay child support as the result of a paternity action.

If you are the subject of a paternity action and you want to have visitation rights, it's important to have your case heard by a family law judge instead of a child support magistrate. A child support magistrate can order child support payments, but is unable to address custody or visitation issues. Only a family law judge can order custody or visitation rights.

Ensure that your rights are protected – contact us