Around 40 to 50 percent of marriages in the United States end in divorce. While divorce is never easy to deal with, it is even harder if there are children involved. The parents have the divorce case to deal with and a child support or custody case as well.

One of the questions that single parents, whether they were legally married to their partner or not, ask is “How does child support work?” The answer to this question will help have a basic understanding of child support.  

What Is Child Support?

Every parent has a financial obligation to support their child until they reach the age of maturity. This is regardless of whether they have custody of the child or not. However, the court assumes that the parent with custody is already fulfilling their financial obligation and will require the other parent to pay child support to them. 

How It Works

Every state has different laws regarding child support. However, during a child support case, the court will require you to make your payments until your child no longer needs it.  If your child has special needs, you may have to pay for child support past childhood. 

The court also has the authority to terminate parental rights and all financial responsibilities if both parents agree that they will not need to provide for the child financially or if they put up the child for adoption.  

How Child Support Is Determined

It is the judge’s responsibility to determine the final amount that is to be paid as child support. In most cases, the non-custodial parent pays most of the child support. If, for example, the custodial parent is a stay at home mum, the judge will consider that, because the parent might not have enough financial resources to provide for the child. 

Calculating the amount to be paid is a little complicated in the case of joint custody. The parents’ income might determine the support; the more you earn, the more you pay. The amount of time that a parent lives with the child will also determine the outcome. For example, if the child lives with you only 20 percent of the time, you will pay more to the other parent.

In cases where the parents are unmarried, you may first have to prove paternity. However, if there is no dispute concerning paternity, there is still a lot to determine how much support you get. You may have to prove that the child lives with you, show proof of income, and both parents must show their ability to provide for the child.

It would be best to familiarize yourself with how the process works in your state so that you are well informed. Remember, once the amount has been set, it will take another legal action to change them.

Know How Does Child Support Work to Provide for Your Child

When getting to know “How does child support work?” it would help if you also had in mind that it is illegal to refuse to pay child support once the court has set it. If you cannot make your payment for any reason, it would be best to let the court know as soon as possible so that you do not suffer the consequences of ignoring court orders.

Check out our other articles for such and more useful tips.