When you first went through your divorce proceedings, you likely had the child support handled at the same time. This support order goes into effect with the divorce and can last until the minor child is a certain age, depending on the court determination. With that in mine, the age of the child is not the only thing that can alter a child support order. There are a few more times when that order may change. Here are three of those times and what you need to know about each.

Change of Employment

A change of employment is one of the more common reasons for a child support order to change. The change of employment will likely affect several aspects of your or your former spouse's income, including the pay. The things to know about the change of employment are that you should let your lawyer know as soon as you see that it may be an issue with the child support. This allows the courts to move on the child support case as early as possible to avoid any issues or delays that may occur in payment. Also, remember, there is usually a probation period where the pay may increase after a certain number of days. Keep that in mind as well during the filing of child support change request.

Severe Illness or Injury

In some cases, you or your former spouse may have a severe illness or injury. This may directly affect the income for a certain span of time. If this is the case, then you will need to file for a change of child support request. Paperwork regarding the injury or illness, medical documentation, and notifications from employers regarding the impact on the income will be required of the party that is directly affected by the illness or injury. Adjustments can be made through the courts if the illness or injury status changes, although the courts may decide to have an evaluation done on the case every six months to a year to ensure the stability of the child support.

Paternity Related Issues

Unfortunately, there are times when you may find that the paternity of the child is in question. If you feel that you are paying child support, and the paternity of the child does not match with you as the parent, then you will need to petition the court for a child support change. Keep in mind, the first steps in this type of change is to prove paternity. A paternity test by a licensed and qualified professional establishment will need to be done and the results sent to your lawyer in order to begin this type of child support request change.

These are only three of the times when a child support order may change, and what you need to know about each one. If you have a specific situation which you feel needs to be evaluated, contact a family lawyer. They can help you determine if your situation qualifies and the steps you need to take to make that change happen.