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Child Support Enforcement - Sarpy County Nebraska

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Riggs v. Riggs, 261 Neb. 344, 622 N.W.2d 861 (2001)<br />

The child and custodial parent should not be penalized, if it can be avoided, by the<br />

delay inherent in our legal system. See Reinsch v. Reinsch, 259 Neb. 564, 611<br />

N.W.2d 86 (2000). Therefore, the rule, absent equities to the contrary, should<br />

generally be that the modification of a child support order should be applied<br />

retroactively to the first day of the month following the filing date of the application<br />

for modification.<br />

[T]he initial determination regarding the retroactive application of the<br />

modification order is entrusted to the discretion of the trial court, and the<br />

decision of the trial court will be affirmed absent an abuse of discretion. See Sears<br />

v. Larson, 259 Neb. 760, 612 N.W.2d 474 (2000). There are circumstances, for<br />

example, when a noncustodial parent may not have the ability to pay retroactive<br />

support and meet current obligations. However, the general rule of applying<br />

modification of child support orders retroactively to the first day of the month<br />

following the filing date of the application for modification is intended to clarify the<br />

law and to more accurately reflect the practice regarding the effective date of child<br />

support modification orders.<br />

See also: Wilkins v. Wilkins, 269 Neb. 937, 697 N.W.2d 280 (2005)<br />

Rood v. Rood, 4 Neb. App. 455, 545 N.W.2d 138 (1996)<br />

When an order for child support provides for the payment of stipulated sums monthly<br />

for the support of minor children, such payments become vested in the payee as<br />

they accrue, and courts are generally without authority to reduce the amounts of<br />

such accrued payments.<br />

The <strong>Nebraska</strong> Supreme Court has, depending upon the equities involved, approved<br />

modification of a child support order retroactive to the filing date of the application for<br />

modification.<br />

Whether or not a child has been emancipated is a question of fact, to be determined<br />

on the peculiar facts and circumstances of each case.<br />

Rutherford v. Rutherford, 277 Neb. 301, 761 N.W.2d 922 (2009)<br />

If a trial court fails to prepare the applicable worksheets, the parties are required to<br />

request that such worksheet be included in the trial court‘s order. Orders for child<br />

support or modification which do not contain such worksheets will on appeal be<br />

summarily remanded to the trial court so that it can prepare the worksheets as<br />

required by the guidelines. Such requirement is set forth in this court‘s rules. [§4-<br />

203}<br />

Under the guidelines, a deviation in the amount of child support is allowed<br />

―‗whenever the application of the guidelines in an individual case would be unjust or<br />

inappropriate.‘‖<br />

In the event of a deviation from the guidelines, the trial court should ―state the<br />

amount of support that would have been required under the guidelines absent the<br />

deviation and include the reason for the deviation in the findings portion of the<br />

decree or order, or complete and file worksheet 5 in the court file.‖<br />

The guidelines provided that a parent who requests an adjustment in child support<br />

for health insurance premiums ―must submit proof of the cost of the premium.‖<br />

Sabatka v. Sabatka, 245 Neb. 109, 511 N.W.2d 107 (1994)<br />

An excellent discussion of when a parent should be allowed to change career<br />

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