Image via Wikipedia

When it comes to divorce, you could be the one receiving child support for your children or the one dishing it out. Depending on which side of the fence you are standing on, you may vie for raising or lowering the support given to your children.

What are the legalities? What should you do first to make the necessary changes?

Knowing the Law

Make sure you know the law in your particular state in raising or lowering child support. InCalifornia, if you have a new child, your income has changed, your custody percentage has gone up, or your expected monetary liability was incorrect, you can raise or lower your child support. While this is the standard procedure for most states, make sure you know the legalities in your area before you ask for any modifications.

Raising Child Support

Want to increase your child support because of medical, housing, or other day-to-day living issues? Before you try to do it on your own, see first if there is an agency near you that can properly and effectively handle your paperwork. Prepare yourself to talk with the judge about your case if you have to go to trial. In some states, you can only modify your child support a certain amount of times, so you’ll want to know that number. Make sure that the court is a part of any changes you make; don’t discuss what you hope to happen with any other party.

Lowering Child Support

Having a difficult time paying child support? For men in particular, this issue is fundamental, especially when they discover that they can’t afford to pay the current level of child support and still take care of their personal needs. Much of what was said above applies here: Get help from an agency, and be ready for a trial. Keep the discussion about what you think is fair and reasonable away from everyone’s ears until the court is involved.

Seeking Legal Help Online

Struggling to get all the answers before you fill out the paperwork? The help you will receive at TotalDivorce.com and sites as such will help you through the most important hurdles. Read articles on the subject. Ask questions and receive answers without so much as a penny leaving your pocket. If you’re in the low-income bracket, obtain additional legal assistance in your area.

Ultimately, knowledge is your key to raising or lowering child support. Know the ins and outs of child custody before you fill out any papers. Get all the help you need to make the best choices for you and your children. In the end, being proactive will be your greatest asset in getting what you and your children deserve.

One of my family’s favorite pastimes is jigsaw puzzles. We’ve already completed several and are hanging on the walls of our den. We like the jigsaws from sunsout puzzles, most especially their 6,000 piece ones. They have very nice and challenging designs. My family enjoys hours of fun completing these puzzles. It draws us closer. How about you? What’s your family’s favorite pastime?

Texas Barnett Shale gas drilling rig near Alvarado, Texas(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

News reports coming out ofOhiostate that hydraulic fracturing in the shale wells are producing at a higher rate than traditional wells. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources received information that the gas wells are producing both dry gas and wet gas. Wet gas contains other elements such as propane and butane.

The Good News about “Fracking”

Although the process of hydraulic fracturing has some risks, it has proven it is a real success for Ohio. A single well in the Utica Shale reportedly produced 300 times more natural gas than a vertically drilled well. The process, known as “fracking,” uses chemically laced water to push gases out of the shale formations.

The benefits of hydraulic fracturing are:

• New jobs in otherwise economically depressed areas
• Large supplies of clean burning natural gas
• Reduced energy costs for consumers

Although many opponents to “fracking” would have consumers believe the process is more dangerous than beneficial, most energy companies commit to the communities they work in. The process is not federally regulated because each state has different geological features. The states regulate the process.

The states engaged in hydraulic fracturing are enjoying higher employment rates, increases in royalty payments, and increased tax revenues.  The increased production of natural gas also offers power plants a cleaner option for producing energy. Gas is better for air quality than coal. Traditionally, coal has been the primary source of fuel for power plants.

New Plants Planned to Process Wet Gas

With such positive reports coming from the Utica Shale exploration, plans are in place to develop two new processing plants and a pipeline. Although most experts are conservative about the future, the early success of hydraulic fracturing activity inEastern Ohiohas developers poised to turn the area into an economic success story. Companies expect to pay more than one billion dollars to workers.

Although there are only a few players exploring the Utica Shale in the early phases, experts expect as many as 10 companies to cash in on the drilling potential. Naturally, jobs come with companies, so most call this a capital venture success story.

UticaShale Represents a Bright Future

One of the biggest concerns for Americans is the high cost of energy. To date, most alternative energy sources are expensive. World events, and their effects on oil and gas futures, drive the cost of fuel to alarming prices. Natural gas is abundant in many parts of the nation, so the positive news coming out ofOhiogives the country hope for lower fuel costs.

High fuel costs have historically affected other industries such as tourism and food production. The natural gas boom gives energy experts an inexpensive way to increase consumer optimism, and ultimately, the national economy with a safe and cost-effective energy source.

I brought my Dad’s car to the service station for its regular maintenance service. I had the timing belt replaced as well as the power steering fluid. I replaced the OEM filter with a K&N Stock Replacement Air Filter. It would add a little on the horsepower as well as add some torque. The oil was changed and the brakes checked. It’s running well again and I’m sure he’d have a lot of fun driving it.

It’s a slow weekend and I had lot’s of time on my hands to finally change the switch plate covers of our house. I have been wanting to change but was just too busy to do so. I bought the metal ones for a somewhat industrial but antique look. Plastic ones often crack through time. They looked perfect with our white walls. I’ll change the outlets next time.

Went to one of my clients last week. We were finalizing a project which my company proposed to them. Driving through this very exclusive subdivision, gave me the impression that big shots resided in this area. All the huge mansions had lawn address plaques. My client’s driveway is long and lined with maple trees. I knew right there and then that we’ll did choose the right partner for our project.

Happy Music Monday!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava’s Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

I love watching videos. Unfortunately, may laptop cannot play some formats. My media player does not support some video and audio formats. Searching for a player that supports these brought me to a great download, the vlc player download. It’s totally free and feature-packed. Installing it was very easy. It even supports all operating systems including the android. Now, I can enjoy all my media files without any glitches.

1. Hot Dogs. Because they are high in nitrates, the Cancer Prevention Coalition advises that children eat no more than 12 hot dogs a month. If you can’t live without hot dogs, buy those made without sodium nitrate.

2. Processed meats and Bacon. Also high in the same sodium nitrates found in hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats raise the risk of heart disease. The saturated fat in bacon also contributes to cancer.

3. Doughnuts. Doughnuts are cancer-causing double trouble. First, they are made with white flour, sugar, and hydrogenated oils, then fried at high temperatures. Doughnuts may be the worst food you can possibly eat to raise your risk of cancer.

4. French fries. Like doughnuts, French fries are made with hydrogenated oils and then fried at high temperatures. They also contain cancer- causing acrylamides which occur during the frying process. They should be called cancer fries, not French fries.

5. ALL CHIPS & COOKIES. All are usually made with white flour and sugar. Even the ones whose labels claim to be free of trans-fats generally contain small amounts of trans-fats.