Hollywood wants us to believe that child support is only awarded to the wife, while she has full custody of the children and the father pays copious amounts of money to support the children. Most films also inaccurately depict the wife spending child support money on herself to afford her luxurious lifestyle. These on-screen depictions are completely inaccurate and couldn’t be further from the truth.
Child support is not meant to support a spouse during the divorce process. Rather, it refers to a required payment the courts set in place that involves a parent paying to support the costs of raising the child. Though it seems like a simple concept, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to child support, including laws and how it’s determined by the courts. Keep reading to learn how the court determines child support and configures expenses so you can better understand what to expect with your unique case.
Who Pays Child Support?
One of the biggest myths to debunk about child support is that only the father pays. While historically more women received child support payments, more and more are paying child support to custodial fathers. Throughout the years the percentage of women paying child support has increased, with over 15% of women paying child support to fathers.
The court determines which parent pays child support based on a few factors, beginning with Form 14, or the Child Support Amount Calculation Sheet. First, the parent with less or no physical custody of the child most often pays the parent with more or sole physical custody. Next, both parent’s income is used to determine who pays child support to whom.
How the Court Determines Child Support & Configures Expenses
As previously mentioned, the first step for the court to configure child support expenses is for both parties to complete the Child Support Amount Calculation Sheet. The form includes information about parents’ income and expenses so the court knows how much each parent makes. After Form 14 is complete, the court will review the document and consider the following factors to determine how they will calculate child support and configure expenses:
- The child’s health
- Housing
- Education
- Extracurriculars
- Daycare
- Health insurance
Though the parent with the higher income often pays child support, every case is unique. The goal of child support is to allow children to enjoy the same if not similar financial circumstances as though their parents were still together so their quality of life isn’t disrupted. Again, every case is unique and the court will determine who pays child support and will configure expenses accordingly.
Child support is collected in multiple ways, either directly from the noncustodial parent to the custodial parent, withheld from the paycheck of the parent paying child support, or through the Missouri Department of Social Service’s Family Support Payment Center. It’s also worth noting that child support is not tax deductible and the parent paying child support can claim the child or children as dependent(s).
Can Child Support be Modified?
Child support can be modified as the child or children grow and their lifestyle changes. Whether employment changes, expenses increase or decrease, or health issues arise, child support can be modified for substantial changes.
A child support attorney can help you modify an existing child support order. However, if you need to request a change in payments for reasons of unemployment, you’ll still need to pay child support if ordered by the court. Whether the noncustodial parent was fired or quit their job, the court will expect the parent to at least earn minimum wage and calculate child support from that.
Trust The Kuhl Law Firm, LLC to help with Your Child Custody Case
If you co-parent, you most likely have hired a family law attorney in the past to help with child custody, a divorce involving custody, or even a paternity action. If you trust your family law attorney and had a great experience with them with your previous cases, consult with them about your concerns.
Likewise, if you don’t have an existing family law attorney, consult a child support attorney to discuss your concerns about child support orders and modification action. You’ll want to make sure you choose a family law attorney who has plenty of experience with child custody, parenting plans, and other family law matters like the The Kuhl Law Firm, LLC. We have over five decades of experience in family law, handling family law matters from the most complex to the most straightforward. Our zealous team of attorneys will handle your case with expert knowledge and professionalism.
If you need help with child custody, establishing a parenting plan, or modifying an existing parenting plan, let us help. We’re dedicated to the practice of family law and can help guide you through the entire process. Our office is in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. In addition to our physical location, our firm’s family and divorce attorneys have practiced in Jackson, Clay, Cass, Lafayette, and Platte County, Missouri. Contact our family law firm today to schedule a consultation – we can meet in person or via Zoom.