Once the state of Arkansas creates a child support arrangement for your son or daughter, the parent obligated to pay support must pay the full amount until the child either comes of age or a new court order takes effect. When specific circumstances exist and certain circumstances hold true, either parent may ask the state to review its existing child support arrangement and consider changing its terms.
According to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, the state’s Office for Child Support Enforcement handles most matters involving child support and child support modifications. If you want your existing child support order to undergo review, then you must make a request in writing to the office.
When You May Ask For A Child Support Order Review
There are two specific circumstances under which you may ask the state’s OCSE to review your current arrangement. In the first scenario, you may ask for a review if at least three years have passed since the order took effect. In the second scenario, you may ask for a review if a “substantial change in circumstances” has taken place. This might mean a job loss or demotion for the paying parent, or it might mean the child’s medical or financial needs have changed, among other possible examples of a substantial change.
What Happens After You Request A Child Support Order Review
Once the OCSE reviews your order and its terms, it may decide to change the order by ordering the paying parent to shell out more or less. On the flip side, the OCSE may decide to keep your child support order as is. The OCSE then notifies you of its decision.
The OCSE’s decision on whether to modify your child support stands until your child either turns 18, or your order undergoes another review sometime down the line.