How is child support determined?
Each state has child support guidelines in place that are used as the foundation for determining the amount of child support. While child support guidelines vary from state to state, courts setting child support orders will generally follow the amount suggested by the guidelines unless a reason to depart from them exists. Most guidelines consider the needs of the child, the relative abilities of the parents to pay support, and the standard of living the child would have had but for the divorce.
Child support guidelines have been set by every state but almost always are based on some universal factors: • Parents’ income and ability to pay • Parents’ expenses • Children’s needs • The standard of living before the divorce or separation The amount is often based on the income of the parent who will be paying child support and the number of children who will be supported. Judges also can consider other factors, including higher expenses one child may have.
Child support is determined by a state mandated formula, taking into account a number of factors. These include the amount of time each parent sees the child, the number of children, the income of each party’s tax filing status. Additional amounts may be ordered for childcare expenses and health care costs, which are split 50/50.
