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Welcome
Melissa Clark-Ford is an award winning Attorney helping families for over a decade.
About Us
Meet Our Attorney
Selected as an Expertise 2018, 2020 and 2022 Best Child Support Lawyer in Charlotte, Melissa Clark-Ford is a Family Law Attorney with 15 years experience helping clients reach their legal goals in custody, child support and divorce matters. She studied business and finance at the prestigious University of Hong Kong and holds a law degree with Deans Honors from Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana. Although she is most at home in the courtroom, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband and her son, Chase. In 2010, she was recognized by the National Association for Professional Women for excellence. She also received six consecutive Pro Bono service awards for her dedication to helping those in need with legal services.
Child Support Help in Charlotte, North Carolina
How do I file for Child Support in North Carolina?
Filing for Child Support is an important first step in providing for your children. Usually, it is better to file as soon as possible because the court will typically only award support back to the day you filed. Our Lawyer can help you prepare a Complaint for Child Support and represent you and your in court. We can even obtain financial documents about the other parent's income, bank accounts and assets. Hiring an experienced attorney like Melissa Clark-Ford will avoid common pitfalls and mistakes that could have permanent effects on the amount of child support you receive.
Do I have to go to Court to get a Child Support Order?
There are two ways to get a Child Support order. You can have a hearing with a Judge or you can reach a written agreement with the other party called a Consent Order. Our attorney has experience helping parents in mediation to reach a Consent Order and representing parents in court.
What happens when a parent doesn't pay Child Support?
Failure to pay child support may be a contempt or court and even a crime. For a contempt, the Judge must determine that a parent "willfully disobeyed" a valid order of court. Once the Judge makes that determination, the offending parent can be fined, have wages garnished, go to jail, or pay attorney fees to the other parent. If you are having troubling paying your child support, there are options to help you avoid being in contempt. Call us today to discuss how we can help.
How do I make changes to my Child Support Order?
You can make changes to your Child Support Order by filing a Motion for Modification. This notifies the court that the financial circumstances of one or both parents has substantially changed and new calculations of support are needed. Modification can be accomplished by agreement between parents through a Consent Order or by a hearing in Court. Knowing how judges like to see evidence and what evidence is important in a custody modification can be tricky. Our attorney, Melissa Clark-Ford has successfully modified orders for families for over a decade. She knows how to get results.
How is Child Support calculated in North Carolina?
Child Support in North Carolina is calculated based on a series of guidelines. Those guidelines utilize the pre-tax income of both parents and the number of children to determine how much each parent should pay. Our Attorney can help you understand the guidelines and how to best present financial information to the court. As an Expertise choice for Best Child Support Lawyer in Charlotte in both 2018 and 2020, Attorney Melissa Clark-Ford knows how to get results.
Ready for answers?
Contact us now to schedule a confidential consultation with our award winning attorney.