Did you separate from your partner but you have children to take care of? If yes, in most cases, you will apply for financial support from the other parent so that you find it easier to contribute to the huge costs of raising a child. This financial assistance comes in the form of child support obligations.
You ask a Sandy child support lawyer and he’ll tell you that both the parents share a responsibility or a liability to provide resources for their children. Child support is a form of ongoing payment which is entirely given for raising the child. Here are a few things that you should know about child support.
How long does the child support obligations seem applicable?
Child support obligations continue until the child reaches 18 years of year or till the child reaches the 12th standard in school. However, there are certain circumstances under which the court may order a parent to continue with the child support payments even after the child becomes an adult.
Some situations when the obligation can be halted before time are:
- When the child starts earning
- When the child is adopted
- When the child gets married
- When the child dies
How is child support calculated?
The entire procedure of child support is supervised by the Child Support Assessment Act of 1989. But the actual method of computing child support can be a complicated procedure. Here is an eight-step formula:
- Calculate each parent’s income
- Calculate the combined income of the parents
- Calculate each parent’s percentage of care
- Calculate each parent’s percentage of income
- Calculate each parent’s cost percentage
- Calculate each parent’s child support percentage
- Calculate the costs of children
- Calculate the ultimate child support amount
What is the method of paying or receiving child support?
Which way you choose will depend on your personal circumstances and how well connected you are with your ex-spouse. Nevertheless, child support can be paid via:
- Child support agency
- Directly in between parents
- Personally after a financial assessment
If both of you have amicable level of communication, it is better to decide on your child support payments through the Child Support Agency. In this case, you have the permission to change into some other agreement if need be.
So, before you hire a child support lawyer to support you during your divorce case, you should first get your facts clear. Keep in mind all the child support details given above.