Child Support and Maintenance
Johnson County, Kansas, Child Support Lawyer
Child Support · Spousal Maintenance · Enforcement
If you are getting divorced, or separating from the other parent of your child, it is important to have qualified legal counsel to ensure that court-ordered child support and/or maintenance (spousal support) is fair. At Jean W. Wise, Attorney at Law, you have a compassionate and tough-minded legal advocate to protect your rights.
I represent both mothers and fathers in the Johnson County, Kansas, area. With 14 years of experience, I can handle complex issues regarding child support, spousal maintenance, and child custody.
Kansas Child Support Law
Child support is determined by state guidelines, on income, parenting time, special needs, and other factors. In Kansas, child support increases at age 7 and again at age 16 to reflect greater financial needs in providing for a child. Support terminates when the child graduates from high school (not necessarily at age 18). Child support may be increased or decreased by modification in court if there is a substantial change in circumstances, such as loss of a job, change of income, daycare, or health insurance costs.
Child Support Enforcement
I represent clients who are unable to meet their child support obligations, as well as clients seeking legal action to collect past due child support. Kansas courts generally order child support to be withheld through wage garnishment.
Spousal Maintenance
Maintenance or spousal support, formerly called alimony, is frequently awarded in Kansas divorce cases. It is granted at the discretion of the court, and the amount is determined by local guidelines, based on income differential, need, earning potential, length of the marriage, and other factors. Under the Johnson County maintenance guidelines, for a five-year marriage, recipients receive two years of maintenance; for marriages over five years, they receive two years of maintenance plus 1/3 of the remaining number of years of marriage. The maximum duration of maintenance in Kansas is 121 months.
Protect your rights. Contact a Johnson County child support and spousal maintenance attorney to discuss your legal dispute. I can meet clients evenings and weekends by appointment, and my firm accepts most major credit cards.
