Recession Sends More Parents to Court for Child-Support Cuts

Many noncustodial parents whose incomes have taken a hit in the recession are seeking reductions in their child-support payments.

The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers asked its members about the issue earlier this year, the Associated Press reports. Thirty-nine percent of the members who responded reported an increase in modifications being made to child-support payments, and 42 percent said there was an increase in changes made to alimony.

Washington, D.C., area child-support enforcement agencies are also seeing an uptick. In Maryland, child-support modification requests are up by 18 percent, and in Prince George's County, requests have tripled in the last 18 months.