Can I Pay My Child Support in One Lump Sum Payment?
There is nothing in Nevada Family Law that prohibits you from paying your full child support responsibility in one lump sum payment up front. If you and or your spouse agree to such an arrangement, you’re welcome to make a lump sum payment of child support. However, there may be some issues that arise should you go this route.
- The first issue that I foresee with this is that the courts simply might not recognize this agreement. Courts generally issue child-support payments in monthly increments, therefore, they might not be familiar or have experience with this method and may choose not recognize it. The court may argue that doing so may not take into account inflation, living expenses, or maybe future earning potential of the paying party.
- The second issue might be that even if the agreement exists and it is deemed to be a valid agreement, child support is still a modifiable order. This means that either party has the right to petition for a modification at any time depending on changes in circumstances. For example, if the paying party happens to get a higher-paying job in the future, the receiving spouse is not precluded from going to court and stating that that party should be paying more in child support due to the increase in payment. So even though you have an agreement, it is still modifiable.
- And thirdly, when it comes to children, courts are always interested in the child’s best interest. Therefore, it doesn’t matter what agreements you come to, if the court feels that a modification to this agreement is going to be in the best interest of the children, the court is going to make that change.
Therefore, while it may be possible to provide child support in one lump sum, my recommendation is to stick to a monthly child support-payment. If you have questions regarding child support, or any other Family Law topic, do not hesitate to contact our office to schedule a consultation. Our office can be reached at (702) 998-1188, info@ljlawlv.com, or by scheduling a consultation online.
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