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A child support attorney in Everett at Modern Family Law helps you set, change or enforce child support and spousal maintenance under Washington law. Everett support cases are decided in Snohomish County Superior Court, and your first consultation is free.
Support orders affect your monthly budget for years. Child support is calculated with the Washington State Child Support Schedule. Spousal maintenance, often called alimony, is decided case by case. Both can be ordered in an Everett divorce, a legal separation or a parenting case.
Our Everett support attorneys check every income source, explain what the court is likely to order and help you reach a result that's fair to your family.
Schedule a Free ConsultationChild support and spousal maintenance work very differently in Washington.
The court combines both parents' monthly net incomes, finds the basic support amount on Washington's economic table and splits it based on each parent's share of income. Parents usually also share health insurance, child care and other special expenses. The court can deviate from the standard amount in certain situations, such as when a child spends significant time with the paying parent.
Washington has no formula for spousal maintenance. A judge weighs factors such as the length of the marriage, each spouse's age, health and earning ability, the standard of living during the marriage and how long the receiving spouse needs to become self-supporting.
Estimate support with our Washington child support calculator and spousal maintenance calculator.
If you're divorcing or separating, support is decided in your Snohomish County Superior Court case at 3000 Rockefeller Ave in Everett. Unmarried parents can request support in a parenting plan or parentage case. The Washington State Division of Child Support can also set or enforce support through an administrative process.
Both parents complete Washington's child support worksheets and provide proof of income, such as pay stubs, tax returns and, for service members, Leave and Earnings Statements.
In Everett, support often depends on how variable or military income is counted.
Navy pay can include housing and other allowances that may count as income for support. Boeing and other shift workers may earn overtime, bonuses or shift differentials that change from month to month. The court may average variable income or set support based on a realistic yearly amount. Accurate income records make a big difference.
You can usually ask to modify child support after a substantial change, such as a job loss, a transfer or a big change in income. Washington also allows an adjustment every 24 months based on income changes. If support isn't paid, the court and the Division of Child Support can enforce it through wage withholding and other tools.
Our Everett support attorneys will review your numbers and give you clear next steps. Your first consultation is free.
At Modern Family Law, we explain how support is calculated before you agree to anything, so there are no surprises.
Frequently asked questions
The court uses the Washington State Child Support Schedule, based on both parents' combined net income and the children's ages, then splits the amount by each parent's share of the income.
They can. Housing and other allowances may be included in income for child support, depending on the facts of your case.
No. A judge decides whether to award spousal maintenance based on one spouse's need and the other spouse's ability to pay.
Yes. You can usually ask for a modification after a substantial change in circumstances, or an adjustment every 24 months based on income changes.
The court and the Division of Child Support can enforce the order, including through wage withholding.
Usually when a child turns 18 or graduates from high school. A court may also order support for college or vocational training in some cases.
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