One of the most contentious parts of a divorce is determining child support. If you are at the beginning of this process, you may have questions about how child support amounts are determined and what you should expect as a part of this process. Here is some basic information to get you started.
Factors frequently considered by the courts for determining child support:
- Number of children
- Financial needs of the child/ren (including age, special needs, daycare, ongoing expenses, etc.)
- Percentage of time the child spends with each parent
- Amount of money paid (if any) from custodial parent/non-custodial parent for children in a prior relationship
- Monthly cost of health insurance paid by each parent
- Traditional wages and salary sources for both parents or the non-custodial parent
- Other potential sources of income including social security and workers compensation income
You may wonder why the court looks at social security and workers compensation income as factors in determining child support. It turns out that where worker’s compensation is concerned, the courts view this just like wages or other earnings as you are technically receiving it in place of your wages (if you have been hurt on the job). Social security is looked at a bit differently by the courts. Most social security benefits are included in your income for the purposes of determining child support. The only notable exception is with Supplemental Security Income, which is not considered income because it is given based on need, not as a replacement to income.
Answers To Your Legal Questions on Child Support
There are generally many legal questions surrounding how child support is determined. Kallemeyn & Kallemeyn specialize in Family & Divorce Law and can help you navigate this difficult process. We can take a look at your financial information and estimate what you might owe or be owed so that you can make general plans as the court process moves forward.
Our team has been focused on family and divorce law for more than two decades, serving clients in the Minneapolis St-Paul area and beyond. Lisa Kallemeyn devotes her entire practice to family law and is very active and involved in the community and is committed to helping her clients to deal with both the legal and the human aspects of domestic crises, including divorces, custody disputes, and support or visitation problems.
If you have questions about custody or child support, give our firm a call today at 1-763-427-5131 and we will partner with you to find the answers that you need.
