Under Washington State family law, both parents have the duty to support their children. Of course this does not become an issue unless the parents divorce or separate, in which case a Washington State child support lawyer can help you determine what level of support the court may order based upon the facts of your case. In Washington, our legislature has adopted a formulaic schedule for setting child support based on the combined incomes of both parents.

While most wage earners with a single job, with simple benefits, are relatively easy cases for a Washington State child support attorney to evaluate, more complicated cases are becoming more common. For example, if one parent is self-employed, his income may not be so straightforward, as it may be bound up with capital interests in a business or deferred compensation. In such cases your Washington State child support lawyers must be thoroughly familiar with case law that spells out the rules for evaluating such incomes and applying it to the child support schedule. Similarly, a parent may be voluntarily unemployed or underemployed based on his skills and experience. In these cases, your Washington State child support attorneys must understand the way in which courts impute income to such parties in order to require the proper support of their children. In other cases, a parent may try to hide income or assets in an attempt to evade paying child support. Again, your Washington State child support lawyer should be expert in the legal methods of discovery to acquire bank, business, and employment records so that an accurate income figure can be achieved.

Whether your case involves special circumstances or not, child support is a requirement in this state whenever parents do not live together, and an experienced Washington State child support lawyer can help you receive or pay the correct and legal amount.

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