How a Car Accident Injury May Impact Your Child Support Agreement

Family Law Lawyer

Car accident injuries can be serious and require significant recovery time. Common injuries to motorists in accidents include head and brain injuries. These injuries may be permanently debilitating, and even after receiving treatment the individual may not be able to return to their job.

There is a long list of injuries that can be damaging enough to forever change the person’s life and their ability to perform what were once routine tasks. These challenges often affect the person’s job status and can be financially catastrophic, particularly if they live from paycheck to paycheck. Until – or unless – they can be reimbursed for their damages, their ability to meet their financial obligations, including child support, can be difficult to impossible.

If you were injured in this way, hiring a family law lawyer may result in modifications to your existing child support agreement. It’s common knowledge that insurance companies are often less than cooperative with those who submit high-dollar injury claims, and they simply do not live up to their advertising and marketing slogans that they care about their fellow community members and want to help them.

If an insurance company is slow to pay you the financial compensation you deserve, you might have to contact a family law lawyer to have your child support payments modified so you can make ends meet in the meantime.

A Child Support Agreement is a Legally Binding Contract

When the family law court judge ruled on the child support agreement between yourself and your child’s other parent, it became a legally binding contract. If you or the other parent at any time defies the terms of that agreement, either or both of you could be held in contempt of court and fined or jailed as the Judge decides.

As an attorney, like a family law lawyer in Rockville, MD, from a law firm like the Law Office of Daniel J. Wright, can explain, there are circumstances that may develop which offer valid reasons for a temporary or permanent modification to that child support agreement. However, the process for obtaining a Judge’s approval can be frustrating. This is particularly true when representing oneself in court because if the person does not follow legal precedents and adhere to the formalized judicial process, it is likely to end badly for them.

Not understanding how the system works is not considered a valid excuse by the Judge. Regardless of how valid your arguments are that you are not presently able to meet your child custody payment obligation, without a family law attorney representing you, you may not find relief from the Court.

Modifications to the Child Support Agreement

When a family law lawyer assists their client in getting changes made to an existing child support payment, there are many factors they must take into consideration. In the event of a car accident, the lawyer determines the income that the victim cannot earn while they are recovering. If the injury is permanent and will affect their ability to earn income for the rest of their life, that is also taken into consideration.

If the victim has child support payments to make, their family law attorney can appeal to the court and request a temporary halt to the payment requirements until such time as the individual receives their injury settlement.