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How is the amount of child support determined?

Each state has its own system for determining child support; however, there are uniform guidelines in place within the individual states to ensure that child support is calculated fairly and that there are no wide discrepancies from case to case. This means that you should be able to find the child support guidelines for the state where you live in order to understand what your approximate obligations will be.

Child Support Formulas

While the rules may differ from state to state and the specific formulas may vary, there are some general principles that go into creating child support guidelines.
  • Most often, a child support calculation begins by looking at the respective incomes of both parents. A child is expected to be able to enjoy a similar standard of living as a wealthy parent, so if one parent makes a significant amount of money, then that parent may be ordered to pay a larger sum of child support. On the other hand, if a parent is making almost no money and/or is living on. government assistance, that parent may not be required to pay child support at all. 
  • The court also looks at the amount of time the child spends with each parent. If the parents have shared or joint custody and get the child for equal periods of time, then child support may not be ordered or may be reduced because each parent presumably pays for the care and expenses of the child during the time that child is living with him or her.
  • The obligations of each parent are also considered, in order to determine how much disposable income he or she actually has towards paying child support. For example, if one parent already has a support order for children from a different marriage, this reduces the amount of income he actually as and thus may reduce his child support obligation in the new order. 

Getting Help

These factors are just a few examples of things that may determine child support. Your state formula can vary. As such, it is important to consult with an attorney for guidance and legal advice in order to understand what the child support obligation may be in your case.