Child support in Colorado is generally a straight forward calculation. However, when a party is self-employed, unemployed, or hiding income figuring out child support can be like doing your own taxes. A good attorney can help determine fair child support payments in much the same way a good accountant obtains a larger tax refund.

Child support is ordered by a divorce court in order to maintain a child's standard of living as though they were living in an undivided household. The court considers many factors when determining child support including the financial resources and needs of all the parties involved, number of overnights with each parent, and the physical and emotional needs of the child, including his/her educational needs, among other factors.

While Colorado courts do provide worksheets for determining child support payments, they look very similar to forms issued by the IRS or other government agencies. (You can access the worksheets for determining child support on the Colorado Court's website. At Johnson Legal Group, our lawyers are very experienced with all of the issues around calculating Child Support since we specialize in Family Law. These worksheets can seem daunting and confusing to a person unfamiliar with this area of law. Our lawyers know the ins and outs of the forms, what they require, what they don't, and how to ensure they are filled out correctly. In figuring out child support payments, we always strongly advocate for our client's, and particularly, their children's, best interests.

Additionally, child support can be modified even after a permanent order by the divorce court. Modification may happen for two reasons: (1) if both parties agree to the modification or (2) if circumstances have changed for either party such that child support payments would change by at least 10%. In either case, if modification is requested by either party, the court will determine child support in the same manner as child support was originally determined.

If you have any questions regarding your current child support, or would like to discuss the details of your current situation, please contact our Denver office for a free consultation with one of our attorneys at 303-394-3030 or fill out one of our online inquiry forms.