We want child support orders to reflect the current situation of everyone involved.

If your income or the income of the other parent on the child support order has changed since it was set, we can guide you through the process of changing it. Either the parent who receives support or the parent who pays it can contact us to start the process.

As part of the process, both parents submit documentation of their income. They also submit other information, including their current parenting time arrangements.

Until we can look at both parents’ documentation in detail, we cannot know if the child support amount will go up or down or stay the same.

To change a child support order, the new documentation will need to change the existing child support order by 20% or at least $50.

When you contact us about changing your order, we will look at how long it has been since your child support order changed. If it was changed recently, we may not be able to consider changing it until more time has passed.

We will also talk to you about your current situation. We often ask questions about income, as well as about custody and parenting time.

For example, we might ask:

• Has your income or the income of the other parent changed since the last child support order?
• If it has changed, why has it changed? By how much has it changed? How long will the change last?
• Has custody of your child changed? Have your parenting time arrangements changed?

Depending on the answers to these questions, we may or may not begin the formal process of considering whether to change your order.

Once the process starts, you will need to stay in contact with us until the change has gone through completely. Because the process is complex, we may need several months to complete it.

The process may move faster if you and the other parent agree about the change. By agreeing on the change, you can also make the change outside of a court hearing, without the stress of court and seeing the other parent.

You can also request a court hearing about changing the order. Our process will lay the groundwork for that hearing.