In Oklahoma, the law on child support is that from time to time it can be reviewed and modified to keep pace with the changing needs of the child and the changes in the income of the parents. This means that whenever there is a substantial and permanent change in the needs of the child or the incomes of the parents then the court may review the child support order.
There are two main processes for the modification of child support. One is the process of administrative review with the Department of Human Services Child Support Enforcement. If you have an open and active child support case with DHS then you may be eligible to request a child support review. In this case the lawyers for the Child Support Enforcement will review your and the other parent’s income and reset the child support.
The other popular method is to file a Motion to Modify Child Support with the district court where you have your original child support order. In this case, you use a private attorney (or represent yourself) and follow the civil procedures for the court. This is by far the faster and more accurate way to approach the modification, but it is generally more expensive and more demanding.
The last thing to keep in mind is that child support cannot be modified retroactively. This means that if there is a significant change in your income that it is important to get a Motion to Modify filed or the old order will continue in effect and you will get no credit for the change until you have filed your Motion.
Child Support Modification
In Oklahoma, the law on child support is that from time to time it can be reviewed and modified to keep pace with the changing needs of the child and the changes in the income of the parents. This means that whenever there is a substantial and permanent change in the needs of the child or the incomes of the parents then the court may review the child support order.
There are two main processes for the modification of child support. One is the process of administrative review with the Department of Human Services Child Support Enforcement. If you have an open and active child support case with DHS then you may be eligible to request a child support review. In this case the lawyers for the Child Support Enforcement will review your and the other parent’s income and reset the child support.
The other popular method is to file a Motion to Modify Child Support with the district court where you have your original child support order. In this case, you use a private attorney (or represent yourself) and follow the civil procedures for the court. This is by far the faster and more accurate way to approach the modification, but it is generally more expensive and more demanding.
The last thing to keep in mind is that child support cannot be modified retroactively. This means that if there is a significant change in your income that it is important to get a Motion to Modify filed or the old order will continue in effect and you will get no credit for the change until you have filed your Motion.