Divorce Child Support

Divorce can be difficult, especially if children are involved. During the divorce process you and your spouse may go through mediation or to court to resolve issues regarding child custody and child support. In most cases, the noncustodial parent is responsible for paying the custodial parent child support until the child or children reach the age of 18.

Every state has guidelines regarding how much child support must be paid. There are a number of factors that are looked at when determining this amount. These include: earnings, taxes, insurance costs, deductions and credits, childcare, and visitation schedules.

In determining the amount of support, the court will review the earnings of the custodial and noncustodial parent. The court examines the gross income of each parent and adjusts for other factors to calculate the child support payment amount.

If one parent works under the table or has money that is not accounted for on his or her paystubs, it may be necessary for your lawyer to subpoena bank records or credit card transactions to prove that parent has more income than the records show.

The court will look at the amount of taxes each parent pays, and how much income remains each pay period after child support is paid.

Most child support guidelines mandate that the child be provided with health insurance. Typically, the noncustodial parent provides health coverage. The premium amount is then added to the calculation when determining the child support amount.

In some states, the court adjusts the custodial and noncustodial parent’s income if they are responsible for paying expenses such as property taxes, deductible mortgage interest, or business expenses that cannot be reimbursed.

If a child must be placed in childcare in order for the custodial parent to work, the expense is split 50/50 between both parents. The amount that the noncustodial parent contributes is added to the total child support amount.

The court will also look at the visitation schedule to determine how much the noncustodial parent must pay. If the noncustodial parent has the children frequently, he or she will pay less child support that a parent who only has his or her children once or twice a month.

To learn more about divorce child support guidelines in your state, contact an experienced family law attorney today.