When you get remarried after a divorce, there may be a number of changes to your lifestyle —especially if you have children from a previous marriage or relationship. One of the things you may wonder about is whether your remarriage (or the remarriage of the other parent) could impact your existing child support arrangement.
It’s important to keep in mind that a parent’s obligation to financially support his or her children continues until those children are legal adults, regardless of the parent’s marital status. Courts will not factor in a new spouse’s financial contributions, as child support is based on a parent’s earnings — not those of a step-parent. Step-parents do not have any legal obligation to support any non-biological children.
However, the court may choose to modify it, depending on new circumstances since the last child support order. Some of the grounds to modify a child support arrangement in Minnesota include:
- A substantial increase or decrease in the income of the paying parent
- A substantial increase or decrease in the needs of the parent or child receiving the payment
- A change in the cost of living for either parent
- Extraordinary medical expenses on the part of the child
- A change in the costs of health care coverage for either parent
- New expenses related to child care because of work or education responsibilities
- The child’s emancipation
For more information on your child support responsibilities after one parent gets remarried, or other reasons for child support modifications, consult an experienced Minnesota family law attorney with Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A.
