Once a North Carolina child support order takes effect, a time may come when either you or the other parent wishes to change its terms. Whether your order may undergo modification depends on certain variables, and there is a specific process you must follow to request a review of your existing order.
Per the North Carolina Courts, the following holds true when it comes to modifying a North Carolina child support order.
What might warrant a child support order modification
For you or your child’s other parent to ask for a review of your existing child support order, one of two things must hold true. Either three years must have passed since the order first took effect, or there must have been a “substantial change in circumstances.” This means that a job loss or something else that took place would change the amount of the child support paid or received by 15% or more under the state’s current guidelines.
How to request a child support order modification
How you go about asking for a child support order review depends on whether you already have representation within a local child support enforcement agency. If so, contact your caseworker to ask for a child support order review. Otherwise, you may need to do so through alternative channels, such as online.
Unless the state approves a request to modify child support, the paying parent has an obligation to continue making payments in full, as ordered. Failing to do so may result in a paying parent facing contempt of court charges and other penalties.