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Child support — the monthly payments of money that one ex-spouse is ordered to make for the financial support of his or her children — is figured in accord with guidelines set out in each state's laws. Every state's child support guidelines are different (for better or worse), but they're often just a "starting point" for arriving at a fair child support arrangement.
According to State Child Support Guidelines
In some states, the child support guidelines are pretty simple; they just take the net income of the spouse who will be paying the child support and apply a certain percentage of it as support. The percentage may differ with the number of children to be supported.
In other states, many additional factors may be considered in the determination of a specific dollar amount for child support, such as:
Differences and Updates in Child Support
State governments occasionally change their child support guidelines to better meet the needs of families and children. The guidelines are not uniform across the United States because it is thought that the individual states are more familiar with their state's costs of living (which vary widely; think of the differences between, say, New York and Mississippi).
The Best Way to Estimate Child Support
Every family is unique, and so is their financial situation. Thus, the best way to estimate what level of child support that your children will receive is to contact a knowledgeable divorce attorney in or near your metropolitan area. He or she can discuss your situation in depth with you — including the state child support formula as it applies to you — and give you an idea of the specific amount of child support you can expect.
For more information or to schedule a private consultation with a divorce attorney in your area, contact us.