Child Support

Child support is calculated using the incomes of both parents, using a specific formula to determine the amount of child support to be paid. Child support can be paid directly to the recipient or through the Department of Child Support. It can also be paid by a wage assignment, where the amount of child support is deducted from the payer's paycheck directly from the employer. The child support statute provides for the court to order child support according to the formula or "guidelines."

Child support orders serve the best interests of the child and can vary from those guidelines based on various criteria. Courts consider variables such as any medical expenses of the child, disparities in income levels between the two parents, economic impacts of any assistance by the child's extended family members, unequal parenting schedules, and any other circumstances that could have bearing on the necessary and appropriate amount of child support. Based on other special circumstances, the court can create variations from the child support guidelines in order to avoid unreasonable orders.