How do child care costs get factored into child support?

The costs of child care, such as day care or baby sitters, is factored into the equation when a court is calculating how much child support one parent needs to pay to the other. How exactly this calculation is made varies by state. In the majority of cases, however, the cost of child care is split 50/50 under the law.

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What about allocation of standard of living?

In a divorce and custody case where child support is being calculated, standard of living will factor into the calculation. Standard of living refers to the type of lifestyle that the child will live, based on income and money available. The general legal understanding is that the child is legally entitled to live at the same standard of living as the parents.

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What counts as income in a child support calculation?

The calculation of child support payments differs widely by state, but in general, it’s based on the broad definition of your total income after taxes and after deductions are taken out’ in other words, your net income. However, while the vast majority of states use your net income as the basis for the support calculation, there are a few that calculate based on gross income. Regardless of whether net or gross income is used, this number is then put through another series of deductions and calculations, depending on laws in your area, to determine how much you must pay.

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What about paying for private school expenses?

Depending on the particular circumstances of the situation, it’s possible that a judge will order a parent paying child support to cover the cost of a private school for the child. There is not one set rule of thumb about this, simply because it varies according to a number of factors and because the laws in each state may be different.

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How Child Support Is Calculated

In the U.S., states regulate the payment of child support through civil statutes, but use different formulas for calculating child support. Some states use the income shares model, others use the percentage of income model, and still others use the Melson formula. Read further for more information on child support calculation.

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How do you show income for a child support calculation?

When child support or spousal support is calculated, the courts will generally look at each spouse/parent’s income and then apply a specific formula based on that income to determine how much will be owed. As such, it is important to understand exactly what is considered income for alimony or child support purposes, as well as how income is shown or proven to the court.

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