Honolulu Child Support Attorney

30 Years of Family Law Experience Serving Honolulu Families

Child support is the monetary contribution a non-custodial parent makes to the custodial parent for the proper care of their child. Orders can also be issued in joint custody situations. In Hawaii, child support isn’t left to negotiation: court-mandated guidelines govern every case, and arguing for more or less support requires a thorough understanding of those guidelines. My firm, Law Offices of Steve Cedillos, has provided child support guidance and legal counsel to Hawaii residents for over 30 years. As your Honolulu child support attorney, I bring aggressive and compassionate representation to every case, whether you need an order established, modified, or enforced.

Hawaii uses the Melson Formula Model to calculate child support, one of only two states in the country to do so. This approach differs significantly from how most states calculate support, making attorney familiarity with Hawaii’s specific rules essential. Many of my clients need child support help during a divorce, but this family law issue extends to unmarried parents as well. A successful paternity action can establish a legal parental relationship and support payments for your child. Free consultations are available 24/7 so you can get answers when you need them.

Factors That Influence Child Support in Honolulu

The court’s primary consideration in any child support case is the best interest of the child. The goal is to keep the child’s financial situation as close as possible to what it would have been in an intact household. Hawaii’s Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (CSGW) accounts for the gross monthly income of both parents, medical insurance premiums paid for the child, and child care expenses. Mortgage payments, rent, car payments, and general living expenses generally are not factored in.

Specific factors courts weigh when determining child support include:

• Each parent’s current income and earning potential, including income a parent is capable of earning but currently does not
• Each parent’s existing financial obligations
• The child’s needs for basic necessities, education, and medical care
• Whether the child may be eligible for public assistance benefits
• Existing support obligations either parent owes to other children or dependents

Custody arrangements directly affect the support amount. The more parenting time a non-custodial parent has, the lower the support obligation tends to be. When both parents have equal custody and equal incomes, the payment between them is at its smallest. When more than one child needs support, payments represent a greater share of the paying parent’s income.

Modifying & Enforcing Child Support Orders

A child support order isn’t permanent. Changes in the child’s schooling or medical needs, a significant shift in either parent’s income, or an adjustment to the custody arrangement can each provide grounds to revisit the existing order. I represent clients seeking child support modifications in Hawaii Family Court and can argue for an adjustment that reflects your current situation.

It’s also worth knowing that a new Child Support Guidelines formula took effect in Hawaii on April 1, 2024. If your existing order was calculated before that date, the new formula may affect the support amount you pay or receive. Discussing your order with an attorney is one way to understand whether a review makes sense for your circumstances.

Modification: Court vs. CSEA

Modification can be pursued through Hawaii Family Court or administratively through the Hawaii Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), a division of the Hawaii Attorney General’s office that also serves as the statewide clearinghouse for support payments. Court proceedings may move faster but are more complex. The CSEA route is designed for unrepresented parties and is limited to support and medical insurance issues.

Enforcement When a Parent Fails to Pay

When a parent fails to pay court-ordered support, Hawaii law provides several enforcement tools: wage garnishment, interception of tax refunds and government benefits, and suspension of a driver’s license or professional license. Child support payments are most commonly made through wage assignment, drawn directly from the paying parent’s paycheck and forwarded through CSEA to the custodial parent. Failure to pay can result in jail time, monetary fines, and wage garnishment, and the custodial parent may pursue back payments to bring the obligation current.

Whether you need to hold the other parent accountable or advocate for a fair modification when your circumstances have genuinely changed, I’m ready to represent you as your child support lawyer in Honolulu.