I Think my Ex Makes More Money now; Can I Change Child Support?

You’ve been divorced for a few years now.

Your ex was ordered to pay you child support, and he’s been paying the same amount every month.

But you heard he got a new job, and you’re pretty sure he makes more money now than he did when you divorced.

He takes more trips. He has a more expensive car. He just seems to be doing better than he was.

Problem is there’s not much of a chance he’ll tell you how much he makes, because if he makes more, he may have to pay more in child support.

What can you do?

You have a few options.

First, if your ex is paying through the Office of Recovery Services (ORS), and it’s been more than three years since the court signed your divorce decree, you can ask that ORS recalculate child support.

(You can ask for recalculation if it’s been less than three years, but ORS may say no.)

To complete its analysis, ORS will ask for you and your ex for current pay stubs, and it will use those numbers to determine if child support should be changed.

Of course, this means if your income has gone up, that will be figured in. But here’s the thing, if you have most of the parent-time with your child, then what you make doesn’t affect what your ex will pay in child support by very much at all.

Second, you could ask your ex for his pay stubs.

If you have a good relationship with your ex, you can always ask for his pay stubs and see if he’ll give them to you. If he will, you can use Utah’s online child support calculator to determine what the new child support amount should be.

When you determine the new number, you can file with the court to change child support. And since your ex gave you his pay stubs willingly, he’ll probably agree to the change, so the court process will be quick and easy.

Third, file with the court to change child support.

This route makes a lot of sense if your ex won’t give you his pay stubs and generally stonewalls you on child support.

Filing to change child support will force him to give you his tax returns and pay stubs (through a process called initial disclosures), so you can see exactly what he makes.

When you receive those documents, you can put the income data in the online child support calculator, and see exactly where the new child support should be.

At that point, it should be pretty clear to everyone what your ex would pay. Coming to an agreement is usually pretty easy at that point.

(Tip: Sometimes, it’s like pulling teeth to get tax returns and pay stubs from exes. One trick we’ve found effective for dealing with this that when you file your documents with the court, say that your ex makes some really high income. You’re pretty sure he doesn’t actually make that much, but you’re not sure, so go for it. When your ex sees a monthly income way above what he actually makes, he will give you whatever documents you want to prove he makes much less than what you said.)

Call Brown Family Law

If you find yourself facing a Utah divorce or paternity situation, please call 801.685.9999 for an in-person consultation, or use our online scheduling tool.

Protect Your Money And Your Family

We remove fear associated with divorce, protect your money & maximize time with your kids!

We're here to help. Let's determine your best options.

Call Us 24//7 at 801-685-9999 to Speak with a Live Representative

Utah Divorce FAQs
Top 100 Divorce Blog
What Clients Are Saying…
BrownLaw icon
Excellent
Brown Family Law
Based on 964 reviews
Clay was great to work with! He was very willing to explain everything I needed to know and helped me understand the options on my case. Very easy to work with.
Jennifer and Dani, as well the rest of the team went above and beyond when it came to my case.
I would highly recommend ‘Brown Family Law’.
My experience with them was exceptional.
Alija
Loved working with Daniel and the whole team. Great service.
Marco and his team at Brown Family Law have created nearly the perfect system for getting divorced in Utah. From the initial intake, to gathering all of the necessary documentation, to the client communication in between. There is so much work that goes into getting divorced, but with Marco and his team you'll always know where you are in the process and what happens next, which is such a comfort. Would highly recommend.
I would give them 10 stars if I could. Clay was professional and super organized. He took the time to explain everything. I would highly recommend him for any family law needed. Melanie was a godsend. She not only kept me continually informed of the progress, she sent texts of encouragement and support throughout the entire process. I would give her 100 stars for going above and beyond to make this experience less stressful. Her encouragement and genuine caring were comforting and calming. The entire staff at Brown Law are on your side and if you are lucky enough to get Clay and Melanie on your team you will not be disappointed. Thanks! Mack M.
Response from the owner:Wow, thank you so much. Melanie is great. Glad she helped you so well.
Nathaniel was an incredible partner throughout the divorce process. He was organized, responsive and respectful of my wishes while simultaneously giving me guidance and advice. I would recommend him to anyone.
I couldn’t have made it through my divorce without Clay and his team! I am forever thankful for the hours and time spent with me to help navigate an extremely difficult time in life. They’re reliable, knowledgeable, and know how to get things moving in an efficient manner. Nothing but good to say here!!
Working with Daniel Young at Brown Family Law was a truly positive experience during one of the most difficult times of my life. From the start, Daniel was knowledgeable, compassionate, and incredibly responsive.
If you need a family law attorney who combines expertise with empathy, I cannot recommend Daniel Young enough. He is a true advocate and a credit to Brown Family Law.
Nathaniel and Carren have been absolutely incredible to work with. They kept me informed and in the loop throughout each step of the process. They always answered every question I had in a very quick and timely manner. I could not recommend them more.
This 5-star review is for Nathaniel Garrabrandt at Brown Family Law. Nathaniel was just what we needed. He helped guide us with a level of professionalism, efficiency, and genuine care that made a real difference during a challenging time. He is always thoughtful and respectful, and he never makes you feel like just another case. His communication was clear (with regular check-ins), his advice was solid and uncomplicated, and I always felt that he had his client's best interest at heart as he made suggestions. I’m grateful to have had such a capable and compassionate attorney to work with. You hope you never need these kind of services, but when you do, you want the best... and someone with high integrity. Nathaniel truly deserves all 5 of these stars, in every way.
yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7

Categories