Child Support Lawyers in Ann Arbor & Tecumseh
Navigate Child Support With Clear Guidance
Child support can affect your family’s finances, your child’s stability, and your ability to plan for the future. Whether you are establishing support for the first time, modifying an existing order, or dealing with enforcement concerns, the process can feel overwhelming without clear legal guidance.
At Stimpson & Associates, we help parents in Ann Arbor, Tecumseh, Washtenaw County, and Lenawee County understand how Michigan child support works and what steps may be available in their situation. Our goal is to help you protect your child’s needs while making informed decisions about your next move.
Understanding Child Support in Michigan
Child support in Michigan is based on the Michigan Child Support Formula. The formula considers several factors, including each parent’s income, the number of overnights the child spends with each parent, health insurance costs, childcare expenses, and ordinary medical expenses.
While the formula provides a starting point, every family’s situation is different. Support calculations can become more complicated when parents have variable income, own a business, are self-employed, have multiple children, share expenses, or disagree about the numbers being used.
A child support attorney can help you understand how the formula may apply to your situation, review the information being used in the calculation, and identify issues that may need to be addressed before an order is entered or changed.
We help with child support matters involving:
- Establishing child support for the first time
- Reviewing child support calculations
- Modifying an existing child support order
- Enforcing unpaid child support
- Addressing income changes or job loss
- Handling self-employment or business income issues
- Reviewing childcare, healthcare, and medical expense obligations
- Understanding how parenting time may affect support
How Michigan Child Support Is Calculated
Michigan child support is not based on one parent’s income alone. The calculation looks at the financial picture of both parents and the needs of the child.
Common Factors Include:
- Both Parents’ Income: The formula considers income from employment and may also account for self-employment, business income, bonuses, commissions, overtime, or other sources of support.
- Parenting Time: The number of overnights each parent has with the child can affect the support calculation. Parenting-time schedules should be reviewed carefully because even small changes can affect the final number.
- Childcare Costs: Work-related childcare costs may be included in the support calculation, depending on the facts of the case.
- Health Insurance and Medical Expenses: The formula may account for health insurance premiums and ordinary medical expenses for the child.
- Other Children or Support Obligations: Existing support obligations or other children in a parent’s household may also be considered.
Because these factors can overlap, child support calculations are not always as simple as they appear. If information is missing, outdated, or inaccurate, the final number may not reflect the child’s needs or the parents’ actual financial circumstances.
Using the Current Michigan Child Support Formula
Michigan’s Child Support Formula is updated periodically, and those updates can affect how support is calculated. For parents, this means older assumptions about child support may no longer apply.
If you have an existing order, or if you are preparing for a new support calculation, it is important to make sure the current formula is being used and that the information going into the calculation is accurate. A lawyer can help review the numbers, identify missing or incorrect information, and explain how the formula may apply to your situation.
Changing or Enforcing a Child Support Order
Life changes. A child support order that made sense when it was entered may no longer reflect your current circumstances.
You may need to request a modification if there has been a meaningful change in income, parenting time, childcare costs, health insurance costs, or the child’s needs. You may also need help enforcing an existing order if support is not being paid as required.
Child support modification may involve:
- A change in either parent’s income
- Job loss or employment changes
- A change in parenting time
- Updated childcare or medical costs
- A change in the child’s needs
- Questions about self-employment or business income
Child support enforcement may involve:
- Unpaid or late support
- Disputes over medical expenses
- Failure to follow the terms of an existing order
- Questions about how support should be collected or enforced
If your current order no longer matches your situation, or if the other parent is not following the order, we can help you understand what options may be available.
Child Support and Parenting Time
Child support and parenting time are separate legal issues, but they often affect each other. In Michigan, the number of overnights each parent has with the child can be one factor in the child support calculation.
This does not mean child support should be used as leverage in parenting-time disagreements. It does mean that custody, parenting time, and support should be reviewed together so the final arrangement reflects the child’s needs and the actual structure of the parenting schedule.
If you are also dealing with custody or parenting-time concerns, we can help you understand how those issues may connect to your child support matter.
Why Families Work With Stimpson & Associates
Child support cases can feel personal, emotional, and financially stressful. Parents are often trying to protect their child’s stability while also making sure the numbers are fair, accurate, and based on the right information.
Stimpson & Associates helps families in Ann Arbor, Tecumseh, Washtenaw County, and Lenawee County navigate child support matters with steady, practical guidance. We take the time to understand your situation, explain the process, and help you prepare for the next step.
Our team can help you:
- Understand how Michigan child support is calculated
- Review the information being used in your calculation
- Identify issues involving income, parenting time, childcare, or medical expenses
- Prepare for a child support hearing or negotiation
- Request a modification when circumstances change
- Address enforcement concerns when support is not being paid
- Coordinate child support issues with custody, divorce, or parenting-time matters
Our goal is to help you move forward with a clearer understanding of your options and what steps may be available in your situation.
Hear From Our Satisfied Clients
Stimpson & Associates helped with a custody case and made a complicated process much easier to understand. Everything was explained clearly, questions were answered, and the process felt much more straightforward.
Our family experienced an unimaginable tragedy and Stimpson Law helped us every step of the way. They were understanding, caring, and showed compassion while handling our legal matters. We are so appreciative of the entire office and highly recommend them.
Mr. Stimpson and his colleagues were so kind and very polite and helpful, when I was going through my divorce. They took the time and patience to explain everything in detail to my understanding. I would refer Stimpson & Associates to anyone who needs lawyer services.
I wish I could give Stimpson and his team more than five stars! Stimpson was my attorney for a drawn-out and emotional case. He kept me level-headed, focused, and most importantly, prepared. I genuinely appreciate his advice, his honesty, and his straightforward attitude. My fight was his fight and that was evident in the courtroom. Stimpson was worth every single penny! A BIG thank you to him and his team!
Child Support Help in Ann Arbor and Tecumseh
Child support issues can affect your finances, your parenting schedule, and your child’s day-to-day stability. Whether you are establishing support for the first time, reviewing an existing order, requesting a modification, or dealing with enforcement concerns, you do not have to sort through the process alone.
Stimpson & Associates helps parents understand how Michigan child support works, what information may affect the calculation, and what steps may be available based on their situation.
Contact Information
To schedule a consultation or learn more about our child support services, call one of our offices or email us at info@stimpsonlaw.com
Ann Arbor Office: 734-707-9455
Tecumseh Office: 517-423-0999