How do I determine entitlements to child support and spousal support?
In both the case of married and un-married relationships, parties can apply to court for the other party to pay them child support for the benefit of their children. Children can include not just a persons biological children, but children who are the other party’s children from a prior relationship. In this context, whether or not the claim is made in a married or unmarried situation, a schedule known as the Child Support Guidelines sets out the basic requirements of child support for the non-custodial spouse. The court has jurisdiction in limited circumstances to vary the Guideline amount of support payable by the non-custodial spouse. Factors which can be included in this determination are: the debts of the parties, their legal responsibility to support others, the parties’ incomes and standard of living, and the amount of time each party spends with the children. As the determination of final support often relates to the issue of custody and access, you should obtain legal advice p
