Divorce is often a straightforward process, but your case can quickly become more complex based on the situation, especially if it involves children. If you and your former spouse have a child together, the court could consider their needs during proceedings, including custody arrangements and child support details.
When it comes to child support, the setup could significantly vary, depending on your circumstances. The law provides specific guidelines, potentially impacting its amount. Typically, the court uses the involved parties’ net income to compute the appropriate child support amount, including the following:
- Earnings from employment, including regular salaries and incentives
- Money earned from business transactions and other income channels
- Benefit payments, including pensions
- Income from interest generated from an estate
- Any tax returns, insurance payments, disability benefits or workers’ compensation payments
Additionally, the court can consider alimony when deciding the child support amount. Some cases can also have unique circumstances affecting each party’s capacity to provide child support. The court could also impose other guidelines if appropriate. A judge may also adjust the child support amount based on each party’s situation, such as whether you have existing child support orders from a previous marriage.
Adapting to the family’s needs
Determining child support can be a simple process, but the court has ways to adapt the order based on the household’s needs. Sometimes, it can be challenging to determine what is best, especially if there are over six children in the home or if one of them has special needs. Fortunately, the judge can factor in all of these details when discussing in court. The court can also deviate from the standard computation if necessary. The outcome can depend on what the family needs and what is best for them.
