One of the issues that divorcing parents in Ohio must face is child support for their children. In most states, the amount of child support will be based on a formula that takes into consideration the ability of each parent to provide for the child financially.

The same is true if one of the parents is seeking alimony or spousal support amounts. The financial ability of the other spouse to pay will be considered along with the lifestyle that the couple had been accustomed to during the marriage.

It is important to note that these determinations will carry forth into the future. This is why it is extremely important to address these issues during the divorce negotiations, and to feel confident that the divorce settlement is fair and takes all of the facts into account.

However, sometimes circumstances change so that a child support award or alimony payment becomes difficult to meet. This can be for many reasons, but among them is the loss of income.

As an example, NFL legend Warren Sapp is hoping to modify his alimony and child support payments. His divorce judgment was entered back in 2007. At that time he was ordered to pay $15,000 per month for the support of his two children with his ex-wife. In addition, his divorce settlement agreement provided that his ex-wife would receive $45,000 per month in alimony.

Apparently the football star did, in fact, make these payments through February 2010. However, since that time he has not been making the court-ordered payments. Instead he has been paying random amounts. Two of the months he made no payments at all. Altogether, the missed child support and alimony amounts total more than $725,000 according to his ex-wife.

Sapp's ex-wife has filed a petition with the court to enforce the 2007 divorce settlement agreement. So now it will be up for a court to decide whether the divorce settlement agreement should be modified and, if so, based upon what circumstances.

Source: tmz, "Warren Sapp Behind $728,100 in Alimony and Child Support," Feb. 6, 2012