You and your spouse got divorced, and you split up custody of your children. Because your ex has custody more often and earns less money than you, the court ordered you to pay child support. This represents a percentage of your income, and you have to pay monthly.
At first, you have no problem doing so. But then you lose your job. Perhaps the company downsizes and you get laid off. It is not your fault, but you now have no income and you want to know how this affects your child support obligations. Can you stop paying?
You need to ask for a modification
One important thing to remember in a situation like this is that all payments are still due. The court order still stands, whether or not you have a job. If you already owe money, you still owe it. For instance, maybe you have missed payments for the last two months. Those cannot be changed or reduced, so you are still responsible for the back payments.
However, you can ask for a modification to reduce what you owe moving forward. You just have to demonstrate to the court that there has been a significant change in your circumstances, showing them that you lost your job and no longer have an income. The court can then alter the payment in the future, reducing your obligation. But you do have to get that official modification, and you need to try to follow the court order that stands for as long as it does.
This can be a complex situation and often leads to conflicts, so make sure you know exactly what legal options you have.