Child support is the monies a parent pays another person to take care of the children. It’s a legal duty and ensures that the child has enough money to meet their needs, such as clothing, food, medical care and housing expenses. The court uses the Washington State Support Schedule to determine the amount of child support. The schedule functions like an income tax table. The court uses each parent’s income and find the amount of child support on the schedule that applies to the ages and number of children. The amount is known as the basic child support obligation. It’s important to note that stepparents must pay child support until the divorce decree is final.
The definition of income is broad but all income and financial resources must be listed. The Washington State Child Support Schedule outlines what to income in gross income. Overtime income or second job income may not count if you’ve done that to pay for the current family’s needs. The child support amount is based on net income. There are some applicable deductions, such as union due, pension contributions, Social Security and federal income tax.
The court looks at the other parent’s income to calculate the amount of child support. On the child support worksheets, you must include any household income from other adults in the household, new live-in partners and new spouse.
Imputed Income
Generally, you give the court a minimum of the last two years of your federal income tax returns and current pay stubs to prove income. If you don’t provide information regarding your income, the court may impute income. This is risky, as you may not want up with a favorable result. That’s because the court will use the median income for a person of your age and gender. That income just may be more than what you can earn.
Post-Secondary Support
While most child support orders don’t include post-secondary support, the court may order this if the child is going to college or disabled. In its decision on post-secondary support, the court considers the needs of the child, disabilities, current resources and the nature of the post-secondary education.
Turn to attorney Sherry Collier for legal assistance with child support. She can also assist with child support modifications when needed.