There are many responsible parents in New Jersey who understand the importance of making their child support payments on time so that their children can continue to receive the financial support that they need and deserve. But when one's circumstances change as a result of being laid off from work or receiving a pay cut instead of a raise, finding ways to continue to make child support payments on time can become very burdensome and stressful.

Fortunately, New Jersey acknowledges that a parent's financial situation may change over time even after payments have been legally determined. In some cases, parents who pay child support may have their payments reduced if they lose a job. In other cases, parents who receive child support may seek to have payments increased if an ex-spouse finds a new job with a significant salary increase.

Recently, former National Football League player Terrell Owens was able to have his child support payments reduced after a judge concluded that the amount Owens was originally ordered to pay was based on the income he used to make while he still had a contract with the NFL.

Due to the change in the former NFL player's financial situation, the judge determined that Owens was ordered to pay more than he can afford and the new payments will better reflect his current financial situation. Owens pays child support for four different children. Prior to the most recent adjustments to the amounts of his child support payments, Owens was allegedly paying $5,000 to $20,000 for each child every month. Details of the new orders have not been released.

If you are interested in making a valid request to adjust your child support payments, you may want to consider speaking with an attorney who can guide you through the process in order to make sure that your request meets all of the legal formalities and that it is properly reviewed by a New Jersey judge.

Source: Examiner.com, "Terrell Owens wins big in child support case," Kelly Cozzone, Feb. 6, 2012