My soon to be ex wife is draining me and my other kids

I am going through a difficult legal scenario with my soon-to-be ex-wife about child support. I am a full-time father with three children from a prior relationship. After my children’s mother died, I met my current wife, and we had two more children. Unfortunately, our marriage became chaotic, resulting in the mistreatment of my elder children, compelling me to leave for their protection. My wife just filed for child support for our two children, and I received $1800 a month without my knowledge. As a single father earning $32/hour as a carpenter, I am fighting to make ends meet while caring for my children.

I live in California and my questions are:

  1. what forms do I need to file?
  2. what’s the quickest way to proceed?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

See if your family law courthouse has court facilitators who can assist you with the forms needed to file for a reduction in child support.

I know someone who recently went through the process of modifying child support, and the court facilitators provided him with all the necessary paperwork and directions on what to do.

Look into community legal services or family law firms that offer free legal assistance. A lawyer can help you navigate the process.