Question asked on Jan. 22, 2020

Q: My ex is wanting to increase child-support has been three years and she says that it’s time to reevaluate the situation. She’s asking for my tax returns. I am making more money than I had three years ago. My ex is on welfare and does not work. Am I obligated to give her my tax returns or should I get a attorney. It seems ridiculous to handover my tax returns And financials to my crazy ex.

A: The answer is “maybe” and the first thing to review would be your existing court order.  If it calls for production of tax returns, etc., then that is the controlling order.  If not, she has no per se right to your financial documents, and the court rules state that a party has to ask to open post-trial discovery.  That said, cooperation might be less expensive than litigation.  Another complication is that the applicable child support statutes change in just a few days (February 1, 2020).  We will be updating the information posted on our child support page, here, quite soon, to reflect those changes.

It seems very likely that your best course of action would be to consult with a family law specialist well versed in this subject, and decide how to proceed based on a full analysis of your existing orders, and current facts and circumstances.