How Do the Courts Decide Child Support?
Posted on Jun 16, 2014 9:22am PDT
Are you seeking
child support, or is the custodial parent in a post-divorce parenting relationship requesting
spousal support from you? Unless you and your ex decide to arrange your
own spousal support in an amicable
divorce, the court will be responsible for deciding the amount that needs to be
paid and who will be paying it. Typically, the parent that has less-than
50% of the physical custody is considered the non-custodial spouse, and
will be the one responsible for paying child support. The "non-custodial"
parent can still be in a joint custody agreement.
If you and your ex-spouse have a 50/50 split of the children, the parent
with the higher income may be responsible for paying child support. The
money from child support is primarily used to provide economic support
for children and allow the parent to fulfill his or her responsibility
of raising a child.
Child Support Guidelines Formula
If a parent is ordered to pay child support, the amount will be calculated
using the Arizona Child Support Guidelines Formula. Child support orders
are always issued by a family court judge. The formula involves taking
a parent's gross monthly income and the number of children that they
have and using these numbers in a calculated mathematical process.
The courts also evaluate whether the paying spouse has children from other
marriages that he or she could be supporting and how much time the noncustodial
spouse spends with the children. In addition to this, the courts will
evaluate certain expenses related to the children such as insurances,
day care and educational costs and factor these into their calculation.
Obtain Counsel From An Experienced Legal Team
If you are currently facing a child support ruling in court, don't
hesitate to hire a Mesa divorce attorney to represent you in your case.
At Liszewski Law Group, PLLC, are devoted to providing trusted assistance
for our clients and helping them to work through difficult decisions involving
child support and other post-divorce decisions. Call today!