Divorce Advice for Men | Fathers Rights Divorce | Child Custody

Question:

I'm looking for financial advice on divorce on child support laws.

I recently took a job with a higher paying salary that my ex-wife does not know about. I already pay her child support, alimony, child care costs, etc., and the increased income is not very substantial.

Do I have to voluntarily notify her and disclose my increased salary?

Joseph Cordell sounded off on child support and the double standards in family court in an article featured on AOL ParentDish.

Cordell commented on the situation facing wealthy NFL cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who has fathered nine children in six states with eight different women. Cromartie has multiple child support orders that are based on his multi-million dollar salary.

But Cordell warns "child support should not be a windfall for the mother."

Among the Ask a Divorce Lawyer questions answered today by Cordell & Cordell attorneys:

• Is it common to be told to end a new relationship when fighting for custody with my ex?
• Do I have to pay alimony if she got pregnant with another man's baby while we were still married?
• Can I recover over payments of child support?
• Can I request W-2’s to prove her salary?
• Is there something I can do to keep her from cutting off all contact?
• Is there any way to force my ex to let my minor son fly on a plane by himself so I can see him more?
• Can my ex's new husband adopt my son if I gave up parental rights?
• I apparently owe 18 years of back child support though I was told the child wasn't mine. What can I do?
• I was ordered to pay child support last year. Can I claim it for 2009 taxes?

Question: My husband has joint custody (per divorce decree) of his 19 year old and 14 year old. The 19 year old recently started college. My husband went to his lawyer to adjust child support to account for the student going away for college. Instead, his child support requirement went UP. His ex-wife only makes $20,000 a year and her income literally has not changed since their divorce 11 years ago. She has chosen this income, as she continues to reduce her hours at her convenience. My husband's salary, however, has gone up over time, commensurate with cost of living, etc. 

The current child support requirement was agreed upon by both parties via a mediator eleven years ago. Based on their discussion with an attorney, his child support (based on the Indiana scale) will go up. Support laws are obviously made to benefit the mother. I can go into many reasons why this is not equitable, based on her behaviors, her lack of parenting time with the children, etc., but that's all irrelevant. How can we make this more equitable? Why is she allowed to continue to have a low salary and he continues to have an improving salary, yet he is the one penalized for this?