In Connecticut, both the legislature and the courts have determined that parental support is an independent right of the child. This means that a child is entitled to child support from parents, regardless of the parents' wishes. Connecticut statutes give courts the ability to issue an order demanding child support payments from one parent or both, and also to take action to enforce the order.
Child Support Guidelines
The Connecticut Child Support Guidelines define how child support is calculated. To calculate the amount, the court will require the financial information of both parents. Connecticut subscribes to the Income Shares Model, which means that the child should receive the same proportion of support as he would have if the parents would not have gotten divorced. The Guidelines require that the parents' incomes are added together to determine each parent’s share of support. Each parent will then be responsible for part of the total amount of support based on their level of income relative to the other ex-spouse. For example, if the ex-husband’s earnings make up 60 percent of the combined incomes, the ex-husband will be required to pay 60 percent of the support.
Modification
Once the court issues an order for child support, there are multiple events that allow the parties to seek modification under Connecticut law. The most common event bringing about a modification is a change in the financial situation of one or both parents. For example, if one parent was laid off and unable to find new employment, the laid-off parent may seek modification to increase the other ex-spouse’s contribution and decrease his own. The idea here is to maintain the original amount of support for the child, regardless of the parent’s financial ups and downs. Modification may also be appropriate when the child’s situation changes or if the original support order did not include money for health insurance.
Enforcement
If one parent is not paying as ordered by the court, the other parent can ask the court to take enforcement measures available under Connecticut Law. There are various methods in which the court can enforce its support order, but a few are more common than the others. Garnishing the delinquent parent’s wages is the most effective method. Another similarly effective method is intercepting the parent’s tax refund. These are examples of methods that directly take the owed money. Other, less direct methods including holding the delinquent parent in contempt of court, placing a lien on the parent’s property, and reporting the delinquent parent to the credit bureaus.
