Child support is a financial obligation paid by one parent to the other for the care and upbringing of their children following a separation or divorce. It’s intended to cover the children’s basic needs, including housing, food, education, and healthcare.

What determines child support is a common concern among parents. This is primarily due to the financial imperative of securing the children’s well-being post-separation, the necessity for fairness in contributions, and the complexity of the calculation process.

The importance of seeking Legal Advice

Considering the concerns above, getting professional help from a lawyer can’t be overstated. While saving money by doing due diligence or using online tools might be tempting, these methods can’t replace the personalised advice that a legal professional offers.

Lawyers are trained to understand the complicated legal system and offer tailored advice based on an individual’s unique circumstances. They ensure that all relevant factors are considered and that the calculated support amount is fair and according to local laws.

Choosing the right lawyer or law firm is critical in this process. It’s advisable to select a professional with extensive experience in family law and a proven track record of handling child support cases. Additionally, consider their expertise, client service quality, and approachability to ensure you receive the best possible guidance.

Take Loukas Law, for instance. It’s a reputable firm known for its dedication to providing compassionate and comprehensive legal support to families dealing with child support issues.

During the consultation, expect to hear and ask about the following determinants:

Income of both parents

The income of both parents is crucial in determining child support payments. This includes not only salaries and wages but also bonuses, dividends, and other sources of financial gain. The aim is to ensure that both parents contribute to their children’s upbringing in proportion to their financial ability. This equitable approach is intended to reflect the parents’ respective capacities to support their children financially, ensuring that the support amount is fair and appropriate.

Furthermore, this evaluation often involves adjustments for tax implications, mandatory retirement contributions, and health insurance premiums, among others, to arrive at a net income figure for each parent. This nuanced approach helps to maintain an equitable standard of support, recognising that gross income alone doesn’t accurately reflect an individual’s capacity to contribute financially to their child’s upbringing.

Number of children

As the number of children increases, so does the overall support payment required to meet their collective needs adequately. This progressive scale acknowledges the economic principle of scale: while the cost per child may decrease with each additional child, the total cost inevitably rises.

In practice, child support guidelines often include a table or formula that adjusts the support amount based on the number of children. This adjustment is designed to ensure that each child receives a fair share of support, reflective of their living situation if their family structure remains unchanged.

Custody arrangements

Custody arrangements significantly influence child support calculations, primarily because they determine the child’s living situation and, consequently, which parent bears a greater portion of the day-to-day expenses.

In sole custody scenarios, the non-custodial parent typically pays more in child support, reflecting the fact that the custodial parent is primarily responsible for the child’s daily needs. Conversely, in joint custody arrangements, the support amount may be lower for the parent who has the child for a larger portion of the time, acknowledging the shared responsibility for the child’s expenses.

The exact impact of custody arrangements on support amounts can vary significantly between jurisdictions. However, the goal is always to ensure the child’s financial needs are met in a manner that is fair to both parents.

Special needs of the child

Children with special needs may incur additional costs not typically covered by standard child support payments. These can include specialised medical care, therapies, educational support, and other necessary services. The courts look at these extra costs to ensure that child support covers what’s necessary.

This consideration ensures that the support provided truly reflects the child’s needs rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. It ensures that the goal of child support is to safeguard the child’s well-being and development, irrespective of the parent’s separation or divorce.

Parents’ living standards and child’s needs

The objective here is to maintain, as far as possible, the standard of living the child would have experienced had their parents remained together. This involves a comprehensive assessment of the child’s basic needs (e.g., housing, food, clothing, and healthcare) and additional factors like educational costs, extracurricular activities, and other expenses contributing to the child’s overall well-being and development.

Moreover, this factor also takes into account the parent’s ability to provide for these needs within their current financial means. The aim isn’t to impoverish one parent for the sake of support payments but to ensure that both parents contribute to their child’s upbringing in a way that reflects their financial capability and the lifestyle the child would have otherwise enjoyed.

Final Thoughts

Calculating child support is complex and often requires legal guidance. If legal advice costs are a concern, seeking free legal assistance from government agencies is a practical solution to ensure fair and compliant support arrangements. Regardless of the approach, it’s essential to seek expert advice from a family law specialist to ensure that the support arrangement is equitable and reflective of your child’s best interests. Remember, child support isn’t just about financial payments, it’s also about securing a better future for your child.