Divorce & Family Law

Child Support Lawyer

Child Support Lawyer | Getting the Amount You're Owed, and Making Sure You Actually Get Paid

Summary

Child support is a parent's legal duty to share the cost of raising a child, and it does not disappear simply because the parents divorce or were never married (민법 제974조, 제975조). As the parent claiming support, your goals are usually threefold: agree on or have a court set a fair monthly amount, get that agreement into an enforceable form, and have real tools ready if the other parent stops paying. Korean courts use published child support guidelines as a reference point, but the final number depends on both parents' income, the child's age, and custody arrangements.

Family Law Related law: Civil Act (민법) Related law: Act on Special Cases Concerning the Collection of Child Support (양육비 이행확보 및 지원에 관한 법률)

Child Support | How the Amount Is Calculated and What You Can Claim

Whether you're negotiating directly, going through mediation, or asking a court to decide, understanding how the number is built helps you claim a realistic amount rather than one that gets challenged or ignored.

Statutory Basis for the Duty to Support

Parents owe a duty to support their minor children regardless of marital status, and this duty does not end simply because custody was awarded to one parent (민법 제913조, 제974조). The non-custodial parent's support obligation continues until the child turns 19 or becomes self-sufficient, and can be raised again if a child's needs increase, for example due to medical costs or education.

Using the Seoul Family Court Guideline Table

The Seoul Family Court publishes a standardized child support table based on combined parental income and the number and age of children, and courts and mediators commonly use it as a starting reference. It is not binding by statute, so you can argue for an adjustment upward or downward based on each parent's actual income, debts, the child's special needs, or the amount of parenting time each parent has.

Retroactive Support for Past Unpaid Periods

If you have been solely covering child-rearing costs since separation without receiving any support, you can generally claim reimbursement for that past period as part of a child support claim, and Korean courts have recognized this kind of retroactive claim in practice. Keeping receipts, bank transfer records, and messages discussing the child's expenses strengthens this part of your claim.

Child Support | What to Do When the Other Parent Stops Paying

An agreement or court order on paper is only useful if it can actually be enforced. Korea has several specific tools for child support that go beyond ordinary debt collection, and choosing the right one depends on how much is overdue and how uncooperative the other parent is.

Direct Payment Order and Seizure of Wages

If the other parent is a salaried employee, you can apply for a direct payment order requiring their employer to pay your share of child support straight out of their wages once a payment is missed (양육비 이행확보 및 지원에 관한 법률 제9조). This avoids having to chase the paying parent every month once it is in place.

Property Disclosure Order and Detention

For a parent who hides income or refuses to disclose assets, you can ask the court for a property disclosure order, and in more serious repeat non-payment cases, request that the court detain the non-paying parent for up to 30 days (양육비 이행확보 및 지원에 관한 법률 제21조의2, 제21조의3). Courts also may restrict the non-paying parent's passport or driver's license in persistent non-payment cases.

Support from the Child Support Agency

The Korea Child Support Agency (양육비이행관리원) can locate a non-paying parent, help file enforcement applications, and in limited cases provide emergency support payments while collection is pursued. Using this agency alongside legal action can shorten the practical wait time between winning an order and actually receiving money.

Child Support | Increasing Support When Circumstances Change

A child support amount fixed years ago at a young child's basic needs often no longer matches reality once schooling, medical needs, or either parent's income changes. This section covers how and when to ask for an increase.

Grounds for Requesting a Higher Amount

You can file to modify an existing child support arrangement when there has been a meaningful change in circumstances, such as increased education or medical costs, the other parent's income rising, or your own income falling (민법 제837조 적용, 가사소송법상 심판 청구). Courts generally want to see that the change is substantial, not a minor adjustment.

Evidence That Actually Moves the Number

Pay stubs, tax filings, or business registration records showing the other parent's current income carry more weight than assumptions about what they should be earning. Receipts for tutoring, therapy, or medical treatment for the child help justify an increase beyond the standard guideline table.

⚠ Two-Year Limit on Reimbursement Claims After Divorce

If your claim is framed as part of a broader property-related claim tied to the divorce, note that certain claims connected to the divorce must be raised within two years of the divorce being finalized (민법 제839조의2 제3항, applied by reference under 제843조). A pure child support modification claim itself is not subject to this same two-year bar, but it is worth raising related financial claims promptly rather than assuming there is no deadline at all.

Child Support | From First Consultation to Receiving Payment

Initial Consultation and Case Review
We review your custody status, the other parent's known income and assets, and any existing agreement or order to identify the fastest realistic path forward.

Calculating a Defensible Claim Amount
We apply the Seoul Family Court guideline table alongside case-specific factors like special needs or unpaid past support to build a number that can withstand negotiation or court scrutiny.

Mediation or Adjudication (심판)
Most child support disputes go through family court mediation first; if no agreement is reached, the case proceeds to adjudication where a judge decides the amount (가사소송법).

Securing an Enforceable Title
Once an amount is agreed or ordered, we make sure it is documented in a form that can be directly enforced later, such as a mediation protocol or court decision, rather than an informal promise.

Enforcement If Payments Stop
If the other parent falls behind, we pursue direct payment orders, wage seizure, property disclosure, or detention requests depending on how serious and repeated the non-payment is.

Child Support | How Fees Are Typically Structured

Retainer Fee
Set based on whether the case is a straightforward mediation-track claim or a contested adjudication involving disputed income or asset investigation.

Success Fee
Often calculated as a percentage of the child support amount secured or the arrears actually recovered, rather than a flat fee, since outcomes vary significantly by case.

Enforcement-Stage Fees
Filing for a direct payment order, wage seizure, or detention request is typically billed separately from the initial claim, since it is a distinct procedural stage.

Disbursements
Court filing fees, service costs, and fees for accessing the other parent's financial records are charged separately at cost.

※ Costs vary depending on case complexity and specific circumstances; exact fees will be provided during consultation. No specific outcome is guaranteed.

Child Support | Self-Check Before You Contact a Lawyer

1️⃣ If You Have No Agreement Yet

Do you know the other parent's approximate income or employer?
Have you kept records of what you've spent on the child so far?
Are you and the other parent able to communicate at all, or is mediation the only realistic path?
Do you have documentation establishing legal parentage if paternity was never formally acknowledged?

2️⃣ If You Have an Order But It's Not Being Paid

Is your existing agreement or order in an enforceable form (mediation protocol, court decision, notarized deed)?
How many months of payment are currently overdue?
Do you know where the other parent currently works or banks?
Has the other parent moved or become hard to reach since the order was issued?

3️⃣ If You Want to Ask for More

Has it been at least a year or more since the amount was last set?
Can you point to a specific new cost (medical, education) driving the request?
Do you have any evidence the other parent's income has increased?
Has your own income decreased in a way that affects your ability to cover costs alone?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I claim child support if we were never married?

A. Yes. The duty to support a child applies regardless of the parents' marital status, but if paternity has not been legally established, you may need to complete a paternity acknowledgment or action first (민법 제974조, 제975조). Once parentage is confirmed, the support claim proceeds the same way as for divorced parents.

Q. How is the child support amount actually decided if we can't agree?

A. If direct negotiation fails, the case goes to family court mediation, and if that also fails, a judge decides through adjudication, generally referencing the Seoul Family Court guideline table adjusted for each parent's actual income and the child's needs. The final number is not automatic; both sides can present evidence to argue for a higher or lower amount.

Q. What can I do if the other parent simply refuses to pay?

A. Depending on how the arrangement was documented, you can apply for a direct payment order against their wages, request property disclosure, or in repeated non-payment cases ask the court to detain the non-paying parent for up to 30 days (양육비 이행확보 및 지원에 관한 법률 제9조, 제21조의2, 제21조의3). The Korea Child Support Agency can also assist with locating the parent and pursuing these steps.

Q. Can I get back payments for the years I raised our child alone?

A. In many cases, yes — courts have recognized claims for reimbursement of child-rearing costs covering the period before a formal support order was made, provided you can document what you actually spent. This is generally treated as part of the overall child support claim rather than a separate lawsuit.

Q. Does child support end automatically when the child turns 19?

A. Support generally continues until the child becomes an adult or is otherwise self-sufficient, which is typically treated as age 19, but this can be extended by agreement if the child is still in school or otherwise dependent. It does not end automatically just because a specific number of years passed since the order was made.

Q. Can the other parent refuse to pay because I'm limiting their visitation?

A. No — child support and visitation (면접교섭권) are treated as legally separate issues, so one parent cannot lawfully withhold support payments simply because they are dissatisfied with the amount of parenting time they receive. If visitation is genuinely being obstructed, that should be raised as its own claim rather than resolved by stopping payments.

Q. What if the other parent has no steady job or claims to have no income?

A. Courts can still set a support amount based on estimated earning capacity, past income history, or lifestyle indicators even if the parent claims to be unemployed or self-employed with unclear income. A property disclosure order can also be used to uncover assets or income the other parent has not voluntarily revealed (양육비 이행확보 및 지원에 관한 법률 제21조의2).

Q. I already have a mediation agreement — can I still ask for more later?

A. Yes. A prior agreement does not permanently fix the amount if there has been a substantial change in circumstances, such as rising education costs or a significant change in either parent's income. You would file a modification request rather than starting an entirely new case from scratch.

Q. How long does it typically take to get an enforceable child support order?

A. If both parents reach agreement through mediation, it can be finalized in a few months; if the case proceeds to contested adjudication with disputed income or asset issues, it generally takes longer. Timeframes vary significantly depending on how cooperative the other parent is and whether their income or assets need to be independently investigated.

Official References

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