Child Support Attorney in Northern Kentucky
Support For Your Children & Your Future
If you are facing child support questions, conflict, or an upcoming court date in Northern Kentucky, you are carrying a lot at once. You are trying to keep a roof over your children’s heads, manage bills, and still be the parent they need, all while navigating an unfamiliar legal system. You should not have to do that alone.
At Schaffner Family Law & Mediation, we help parents work toward fair, sustainable child support arrangements that fit real families, not just numbers on a chart. We are a boutique, all-female family law firm based in Crestview Hills, serving parents in Kenton County, Campbell County, and Boone County. Our attorneys focus on divorce, custody, and support, so child support issues are a central part of what we handle every day.
Founding attorney Tasha K. Schaffner has practiced family law in Kentucky since 2004 and is known in the community as “Tiger Tasha” for her strong advocacy. Our firm pairs that strength with calm, steady guidance, whether your case is resolved through negotiation or in the courtroom.
Need guidance from a child support lawyer in Northern Kentucky? Schedule a consultation online or call (859) 577-7552 to discuss your situation and next steps.
Why Parents Choose Our Firm
Choosing a lawyer for a child support case is not only about knowing the law. It is about finding a team you trust to handle your finances and your children’s needs with care. Parents come to us because we limit our caseload and stay closely involved in each matter. That means we have the time to review your income details, parenting schedule, and expenses carefully, which can make a real difference when support is calculated or modified.
Our seven-woman team is known for balancing strength and empathy. Clients often tell us they feel both protected and genuinely heard. When we prepare a child support case, we pay close attention to the details that can easily be overlooked, such as childcare costs, health insurance for the children, unreimbursed medical expenses, and how parenting time is actually working in day-to-day life.
Integrity guides everything we do. We are straightforward about how Kentucky child support guidelines typically apply, what a realistic range might look like for your situation, and the risks and costs of pushing issues to trial. We do not inflate expectations or promise outcomes we cannot control. Our goal is to give you honest information so you can decide whether to negotiate, mediate, or ask the court to decide.
Tasha Schaffner holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, which reflects peer respect for both legal skill and ethics. She has also been consistently recognized in Super Lawyers for Family Law, an honor given to a small percentage of attorneys in the state. Our attorneys have handled family law matters in the Kentucky Court of Appeals and the Kentucky Supreme Court, including cases that set important precedents. This depth of experience matters when child support issues become complex or when an outcome may be reviewed by a higher court.
How Child Support Works In Kentucky
Many parents search online for calculators and quick answers, then feel even more confused. Kentucky uses child support guidelines that provide a starting point, but the way those guidelines apply to your specific family can be complicated. We work with you to translate those rules into clear expectations for your situation.
In Kentucky, guideline support is generally based on the parents’ incomes, the number of children, and certain additional costs such as health insurance and work-related childcare. Courts in Kenton County, Campbell County, and Boone County usually begin with the guideline amount, then consider whether there are reasons to deviate up or down. Examples might include high medical expenses for a child, unusual travel costs for parenting time, or a significantly unequal parenting schedule.
Shared parenting time does not automatically eliminate support. Instead, the court typically looks at how time and expenses are divided in real life. We help you gather information about your actual schedule, the costs you pay directly for the children, and any recent changes, so the court sees more than just a basic worksheet.
Life rarely stays the same for long. Parents often come to us years after an order was entered because income has changed, a job has been lost, a parent has remarried, or the parenting schedule no longer matches the old plan. Kentucky law allows parents to ask for modification of child support when there has been a significant, continuing change in circumstances. We review your prior order, your current finances, and your updated parenting plan, then advise whether a modification request is likely to be considered seriously by the family court.
Our attorneys stay active in the Kentucky Bar Association and the Northern Kentucky Bar Association, and we participate in local continuing legal education programs, including events focused on family law. This involvement helps us remain current on guideline developments and local practices in the Northern Kentucky courts that handle child support.
Resolving Child Support Disputes
Some child support cases move forward with little conflict. Parents agree on income, share information openly, and work together on a parenting plan. Other times, trust has broken down. One parent suspects the other is underreporting income or refusing to work. Payments are late or missing. In these situations, you need a plan that fits both your goals and your tolerance for conflict.
At Schaffner Family Law & Mediation, we put significant emphasis on resolving support issues through mediation and Collaborative Law when that is appropriate. Several of our attorneys are certified by the state to conduct private domestic relations mediations, and members of our team belong to the Academy of Northern Kentucky Collaborative Professionals. In mediation or collaborative work, we help parents sit down, exchange all necessary financial information, and work toward a support figure and parenting schedule that they can both live with.
These cooperative processes can be helpful for families who will be making joint decisions about their children for many years. When parents reach support agreements through mediation or collaboration, they often feel more ownership over the outcome and may be less likely to return to court repeatedly over the same issues.
Some child support disputes cannot be resolved across a conference table. If a parent will not produce income records, refuses to pay ordered support, or insists on a number that is far from the guideline range, a judge in a Northern Kentucky family court may need to decide. Our attorneys are comfortable in that setting. We prepare thoroughly, organize your documents, and help you present your story in a clear, focused way so the court can understand your position.
We regularly handle a wide range of child support issues, including initial support orders during divorce or paternity cases, enforcement actions when payments have fallen behind, and modification requests as children grow and circumstances change. For military and former military families, we also understand how federal rules, such as the Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act (USFSPA) and the 20/20/20 rule, may intersect with support and other financial obligations.
What To Do About Child Support
When you are worried about making ends meet or about paying more support than you can realistically afford, it helps to know what to do first. A few concrete steps can make your meeting with a child support lawyer in Northern Kentucky far more productive and can also reduce your stress.
Here are practical steps you can start on now:
- Gather recent pay stubs, W-2s, tax returns, and any documents showing bonuses, commissions, or self-employment income.
- Collect information on health insurance premiums for the children and any regular childcare or after-school care costs.
- Make a simple list of monthly expenses directly related to the children, such as activities, school fees, and unreimbursed medical costs.
- Save written communication with the other parent about money and the children, including texts and emails, especially if payments are irregular.
- Avoid signing new agreements or making major changes to payment arrangements without first understanding how they could affect your rights.
Our team helps you organize this information and fill in any gaps. We use secure client portals so you can upload documents when it works for your schedule, whether you are here in the area or living out of state with ties to Northern Kentucky. Our paralegals stay in close contact, so you are not left wondering what is happening with your case.
For parents who have already reached a clear agreement on child support and parenting time, we also offer streamlined options designed to formalize that agreement correctly without unnecessary litigation costs. We still review the details carefully, because we would rather invest time now than see you face avoidable problems later.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is child support calculated in Kentucky?
Kentucky generally uses guideline charts that consider both parents’ incomes, the number of children, and certain expenses such as health insurance and childcare. The court usually starts with that guideline amount, then may adjust based on specific facts. We review your documents with you so the numbers make sense.
Can I change my current child support order?
Many parents can seek a modification if there has been a significant, ongoing change, such as a job loss, a higher income, or a different parenting schedule. We compare your old order and your current situation, then discuss whether a judge is likely to consider a change worthwhile.
What if the other parent is not paying support?
If support is not being paid as ordered, you can usually ask the court to enforce the order. Options may include payment plans or, in serious cases, stronger remedies. We look at your order, payment history, and goals, then help you choose a strategy that considers both collection and co-parenting.
Will we have to go to court over child support?
Not always. Many parents resolve support through negotiation or mediation instead of a full hearing. Our firm uses mediation and collaborative approaches where appropriate. If those options do not work or are not safe, we prepare to present your case in the Northern Kentucky family courts.
How much will it cost to hire your firm?
Cost depends on the complexity of your case, how much conflict is involved, and whether we resolve issues through settlement or hearings. We discuss fees and expected work at the start so you understand the investment. For agreed cases, we may offer a more streamlined, predictable fee structure.
Talk With Our Child Support Team
Child support decisions affect your children’s daily lives and your ability to keep your household stable. You deserve clear information, thorough preparation, and a steady advocate who understands how the family courts in Northern Kentucky handle these cases. Our attorneys at Schaffner Family Law & Mediation work to combine strong advocacy with practical, child-focused solutions.
From our Crestview Hills office, we serve parents in Kenton, Campbell, and Boone counties, as well as families with connections on both the Kentucky and Ohio sides of the river. We offer in-person and virtual meetings so you can get guidance in a way that fits your schedule. When you reach out, we walk through your situation, your goals, and what next steps make sense for you.
Speak with a child support attorney in Northern Kentucky about your case today. Schedule your consultation online or call (859) 577-7552 to get started.