3 Things To Know About Child Support
Are you currently going through a divorce and know that child support is eventually going to come up? Here are some things to know about this upcoming payment that will need to be made.
Does Time Share Play Into Child Support?
One factor that is going to play into how much child support that is paid is what your child share percentage looks like compared to your spouse. This is done by looking at the time that you have custody of your child throughout the entire year, which is done by looking at regular custody days, birthdays, holidays, and things of that nature. It's important to make sure that all time is accounted for, because more custody time can result in a lower child support payment.
Parents that have true 50/50 custody will have a different child support payment when compared to parents that may have a 80/20 custody split. If you modify the custody arrangement later on, know that you can apply to have your child support payment modified as well. A problem that people run into is when parents decide to unofficially modify a custody schedule, and then the child support paying parent continues to pay the old amount of child support.
Does Monthly Income Play Into Child Support Payments?
Child support is largely going to be based on how much each parent makes each month. Salary jobs are really easy to figure out each person's gross monthly income, but hourly and gig workers can have problems figuring this out. It is best to look at historical income to figure out what the gross monthly income is from both sides. Do your own calculations with your own pay stubs, and have that information ready to go when you appear in front of a judge. This can help ensure that the child support that is paid is fair based on accurate earnings.
What Are Child Support Add-Ons?
By using time share and monthly income, you'll determine your base child support amount that the court will order one parent to pay. However, there are also add-ons that can increase child support amounts. This is usually for things like child care expenses so that the primary custodial parent is able to go to work. There can also be add-ons for medical expenses that are not covered by normal health insurance. Be prepared for these additional add-ons and how they can increase child support payments.
For more information about child support, contact a child support attorney in your area.