3 times you could ask for more child support in Colorado

How much you receive in child support depends on several important details about your family circumstances. When your situation changes, the child support that one parent pays for the care and maintenance of the children may change as well.

As the parent receiving support, there are certain circumstances in which you could potentially ask for more support than you currently receive. When might the courts increase your child support?

When your income or your ex’s income changes

If you suddenly lose your job, leaving you unable to contribute anything toward the children’s basic cost of living expenses temporarily, you may require more support.

On the other hand, if your ex has good fortune at work and started earning substantially more than they did at the time of your divorce, their better circumstances may justify an increase in the support that they pay you.

When the children’s expenses increase

Perhaps one of your children recently developed a medical issue that requires extensive treatment or aged out of the low-cost toddler daycare where they have been since your divorce.

If the basic expenses for caring for a child, like their health care or childcare costs, go up, you may qualify for more support.

When your ex reduces their parenting time

The more time you are solely responsible for your children, the more obligation your ex may have to provide financial support.

If your ex has stopped taking the children for overnight visits, leaving you to cover all of the parenting responsibilities despite the custody order, you may be able to ask that the courts adjust the custody order to reflect when your ex actually parents and the support level to reflect how much they currently contribute.

Learning more about the rules that govern child support can make you a better advocate for your children and their needs.