Parents are obligated to provide financially for their child regardless of whether they are in their care or not. Both parents should try to work together to establish an amicable child support agreement outside of the courts, if possible. If the parties cannot agree, the custodial parent may file a petition for child support payments.

If your mother or father has been granted custody and a child support order for your child, then you are legally obligated to pay the grandparents support for raising your child until they reach the age of majority or until a new court order changing support is entered. The amount of support you are required to pay is dependent upon each parent's financial situation and any existing custody arrangements.

Circumstances for Child Support Modifications

Once a court order for child support has been issued, it can be modified or terminated at a later date if the circumstances leading to the order have changed and making the change is in the best interests of the child.

Criteria for changing a child support order in Virginia sometimes include:

• Loss of employment.
• Emancipation of the child for whom support is ordered.
• A written agreement is reached regarding the modification or termination of payments.

When submitting a motion to the court to amend child support payments, you will be required to provide the courts with full disclosure and proof surrounding your circumstances. In some cases, the Virginia Department of Social Services has jurisdiction to order and modify child support orders outside of the court system. If you are considering modifying or terminating child support payments, you may want to speak with a Virginia family lawyer who regularly handles child support matters.