If you want to be involved in your child’s life despite not having visitation rights, please read on, then contact an experienced Bergen County, New Jersey child support lawyer to learn if you must pay child support if you do not have visitation rights in New Jersey.
Does the state of New Jersey require you to pay child support even if you do not have visitation rights?
Yes. If New Jersey’s Family Court orders you to pay child support, you must pay, even if you do not have visitation rights. You see, the noncustodial parent’s visitation rights, or lack thereof, are irrelevant in the Court’s calculation of child support. The only way to get out of paying child support is for a parent to surrender his or her parental rights. However, you should know that doing that also means that you no longer have any say in what the child does and you can’t request visitation rights. If you want to be involved in your child’s life at any point in the future, we would advise you against that course of action.
How is New Jersey child support calculated when you have no visitation rights?
As previously stated, the Family Court does not factor in your specific custody or visitation arrangement when calculating child support payments. Instead, the Family Court considers the following factors:
- The custody arrangement
- The needs of the child
- Need and capacity of the child for education, including higher education
- The standard of living of each parent
- Each parent’s financial situation
- Assets and liabilities of each parent
- Earning capacity of each parent
- Age and health of each parent
- Age and health of the child
Assuming you do not wish to relinquish your parental rights, you have only two options: Accept that you must pay child support, or ask for a modification. In the latter case, you should reach out to a skilled Bergen County, New Jersey family law attorney to discuss your next steps.
How can a Bergen County family law attorney help you?
First and foremost, a qualified legal professional from our Bergen County firm will help you request a modification to your child support payment. He or she will help document and present evidence that you have undergone a substantial, permanent and involuntary change in circumstances that were not considered during the original determination of child support. Our firm will help give you the best possible chance of success, so please give us a call today.
Contact Our Experienced Bergen County Firm
Whether you are getting divorced or are facing any other family law matter, you need competent legal assistance on your side. Our legal team is dedicated to fighting for individuals, their families, and their future. Contact HD Family Law today to schedule your initial consultation with our compassionate and experienced firm.
