
St. Louis Child Support Lawyer
Addressing Child Support Disputes in St. Charles, St. Louis & Chesterfield
If you have children and are going through or considering divorce (dissolution of marriage), child support is one of the issues that will need to be addressed. At Cavanagh & Associates, we can help you handle child support proceedings with professionalism and skill, to protect your financial security and your child’s well-being.
St. Louis child support lawyer Jack Cavanagh understands the nuances of Missouri’s child support guidelines and also recognizes the importance of a beneficial support arrangement. Using over five decades of legal experience, he leads our family law firm in developing legal strategies that address our clients’ individual needs in divorce, custody, and child support matters.
If you are dealing with a child support dispute, reach out to our St. Louis child support attorney by calling (314) 309-2799 or contacting us online today.
What Is Child Support?
Child support is a periodic and regular payment, usually expressed in monthly amount and paid by one parent to the other parent to help pay the costs of caring for a shared child. Although child support was historically paid by the “non-custodial parent” to the “custodial parent,” those terms are no longer used.
With the changing customs and practices applied in making child custody orders, the designation of “custodial” parent is blurred. With more and more actual “50/50” physical custody schedules, there may not even be a parent who would have been designated as “custodial” and one who designated “non-custodial.”
“Parent Paying Support” & “Parent Receiving Support”
Today, the terms “parent paying support” and “parent receiving support” are less likely to cause contention or concern. Child support payments are calculated based on the income of both parents. The income calculation includes job-related income, including overtime and bonuses if historically consistently received, interest income, business income, rental income, investment income, dividends, and other types of income.
For divorcing parents, if there is spousal support (“maintenance”) paid by one parent to the other, that support is subtracted from the income of the parent paying support and added to the income of the parent receiving support when preparing the required Presumed Child Support Calculation Worksheet.
Additionally, overnight stays may affect child support payments:
- Child support guidelines include factors such as the number of overnight stays per year the children spend with each parent.
- The number of overnight stays with the “parent paying support” translates into a “child custody credit” in the form of a reduction from what the paying parent would otherwise pay to the receiving parent.
- The more overnight stays with the paying parent, the greater the percentage and amount of the “child custody credit.”
Our Clients Mean Everything to Us
Read Stories Directly From People We've Helped
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First of all, it was hard to find a lawyer that works with grandparents rights. Jack did a great job and we get to see our grand-daughter for the first time in a year. We are very thankful to him.- Mr. Callaway
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Jack did a great job representing me while dealing with a high conflict ex. He was able to tell me what to expect and what was worth fighting for and did it in a way that made it easy to accept.
- Dustin G. -
Jack is great lawyer with lots of experience. I’m glad we I hired him to represent me. We won a battle like David against Goliath.- Rolles G.
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Jack took over my divorce case and made a seemingly endless divorce process (nearly 4 years with mediation, continuances and a former atty.) come to a quick and agreeable settlement. Jack is an effective and seasoned attorney that made easy work of the negotiations. He is respectful and concerned for his clients. His associates were friendly and helpful, ensuring that all paperwork was completed in a timely and accurate fashion. I highly recommend him if you are going through a difficult divorce.- Carol
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I worked with Jack and Eka recently and must say they exceeded my expectations. Great communication and compassion for what you’re dealing with. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back to them for any of my legal matters.- Donald Salisbury
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Jack has been a lawyer for a long time. He values his clients and sees them as people with individual circumstances, and not just dollar bills like other attorneys. Anyone that knows anything about the law knows it’s about making and keeping good rapport with all parties involved. And for a defense attorney, being familiar with the judge to the prosecutor and being on a friendly basis with them is exceptionally important. And Jack knows everyone! He should as he’s been doing this for probably over 40 years. He’s not only a great attorney but I consider him a friend. Don’t make the mistake of choosing an unknown rookie attorney who may be a couple bucks cheaper. Choose Jack!- Paige
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I would highly recommend setting up a consultation with Jack regarding your legal matters as he certainly goes above and beyond for his clients.- Matt
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Mr. Jack Cavanagh was my attorney getting me removed from an child birth certificate that wasn’t my child. He made the process very easy and timely manner the communication was very good and I was beyond satisfy with the outcome and service Thank you Mr.Jack and Ms.English- Demetric L.
