TEN MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CHILD SUPPORT AND ALIMONY

1. Your expenses are relevant in a determiantion of the appropriate level of child support.
   Truth:  In general, expenses are not relevant.

2.  Child support must be used on the children, and the receipient must account to the payor.
     Truth:  The recipient can use child support for family expenses and expenses of the recipient.

3.  If the payor loses his or her job, the obligation to pay support ceases.
      Truth:  If the payor loses his or her job that party must file a modification action.

4.  You can't get blood from a stone.
      Truth;  The Court has ways of making deliquent parents pay.  Ask me.

5.  If a party gives up a career to raise the children that party is entitled to alimony.
     Truth:  Only if other factors apply.

6.  If the payor has no realionship with the children there is no obligation to pay support.
      Truth:  The amount and/or duration of support is not related to the quality of the payor's relation-
                  ship with the children

7.  Child support can be determined by a simple mathematcial calculation
      Truth: There are many factors that go into the calculation and often times the calcuation is not
                  simple.

8.  Once the parties agree on a child support amount it cannot be changed.
     Truth: Child support may be increased or deceased upon a change or circumstance.

9.  When one child is emancipated, child support is dramatically changed.
      Truth:  The change is not automatic, you must go to court, and the percentage of the change
                   is not large.

10.  If you are entitled to an alimony termination under the new Alimony Reform Act, you can just
        go into court and terminate alimony.
        Truth:  There are dates before which an alimony termination case may not be filed and the dates
                     are based upon the length of the marriage and the age of the payor.