Family Law: Child Support During COVID 19
Many Canadian were laid off or had their wages reduced due to the economic crisis that ensued as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While the province is in the process of reopening, many BC residents are still experiencing the lingering economic effects of the virus. If you lost your job or your income was reduced because of COVID-19, and you are still uncertain when things will return to normal, you may be wondering what that means for your obligation to pay child support.
Child support agreements and court orders still apply
Although the pandemic may have negatively impacted your earning potential, the terms of an agreement or a court order relating to child support are not automatically voided. If you have stopped paying child support or you reduced the payments, the amount you owe will accrue as arrears until you sign a new agreement, or a revised court order is imposed.
What to do if you cannot afford your child support payments
If you can no longer afford your child support payments and your arrangement is registered through the province’s Family Maintenance Enforcement Program, you must contact the enforcement officer assigned to your case to discuss alternative payment options.
If support payments are made directly to the other parent, explain to them how your financial situation has changed and ask if they will agree to a temporary adjustment where you will pay as much as you can afford until your situation improves. If the other parent does not agree to a new arrangement, but you still cannot afford to make your payments, you may need to vary, cancel or change the support order. To file this application, you must be able to show a change of income since the last support order was imposed.
Contact our family lawyers today!
While we believe that every parent has a duty to support their children, we understand that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an economic situation no one could have predicted. So, if you were adversely affected by COVID-19 and you need help to modify a child support agreement or court order, contact us at Highland Law Family Lawyers
At Highland Law, our experienced family lawyers will help you to negotiate with the other parent to reach an agreement for reasonable child support payments. And if the other parent remains unwilling to negotiate, we will help you to file an application with the courts to adjust your arrangement.
Give us a call today to schedule a free legal consultation with our child support lawyer.