- 1). Complete a petition to modify your court-ordered child support payments. According to DCS, provide data such as your child support case number, your name, the child's name and the names of attorneys associated with the case. Changes to your income should be significant enough (e.g., layoff) to necessitate the change. Your child's other parent must be in agreement with the change. File the petition with the clerk of the court that issued the support order. Attach a completed Child Support Obligation Worksheet to the petition. The clerk will date stamp the forms and provide you with a copy. Send one copy of the stamped forms to the child's other parent and their attorney. Give the clerk two stamped envelopes so the clerk can mail a signed copy of the adjusted order to you and the child's other parent.
- 2). Fill out a court hearing petition and a Child Support Obligation Worksheet to have your support order reviewed if you and the child's other parent do not agree on whether or not (or by how much) the order should be changed. As directed by DCS, items that you will provide on the petition include the child's birth date, current child support order issue date and case number, weekly amount of child support payments and the reason you think the court order should be modified. File the original petition with the clerk of the court that issued the support order. The clerk will mail you and the child's other parent a notice that lists the date and location for the court hearing to review the petition. Hearings are overseen by a judge.
- 3). Petition the courts if your child has become emancipated due to getting married, joining the military or is 18 years old and has not been at school for at least four months and is capable of fully supporting her or himself. DCS also permits you to have your payments modified or ceased if your child has turned 21. Complete a Petition Due to Emancipation application and a Child Support Obligation Worksheet and submit it with the signed petition to the clerk of the court where the support order was issued. Send one copy of the petition and worksheet to the child's other parent or/and their attorney. The clerk will mail a copy of the modified court order to you and the child's other parent if the modification is approved.
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