How Are Child Support Costs Figured Out in California?
Every state has guidelines that judges must follow when determining child support. In California, child support orders are based on a variety of factors related to the parents' income, the children's needs and the custody arrangement. The court keeps the child's best interest in mind when interpreting these guidelines; the actual amount of child support ordered may be different than the amount suggested by the guidelines.
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Income as Factor
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Each parent must submit a declaration of income and expenses to the court so that the court can determine each parent's financial needs. Money is not the deciding factor in either child custody or support decisions; how much money a parent makes impacts how much support he must give each month, as the parent cannot be obligated to pay child support at the expense of supporting himself.
Time Spent With Child
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The custody arrangement impacts the child support order. The court multiplies the basic support the parent should provide by how much time she spends with the child. For example, if the child spends 45 percent of his time with the non-custodial parent and the parent should pay $1,800 per month based on her income, the court would multiply $1,800 by .45 to get a base amount of $810 per month.
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Health Care and Other Special Needs
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Health-care needs are usually made part of the child support order. For example, if the non-custodial parent has group health insurance through her job and the other parent does not, the child support order usually requires the non-custodial parent to add the children to her policy. If a child has special needs, such as medical expenses not covered by health insurance, these are also taken into account. If one parent lives far away from the other, the court can also add transportation costs into the child support order.
How to Estimate Payments
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If you would like to estimate how much child support the court is likely to order, you may visit the child support calculator on the website for the California Court System. Enter each piece of information online and click "Continue." The calculator will tell you approximately how much child support you will have to pay based on California child support guidelines.
Alternative to Court-Ordered Child Support
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You and the custodial parent may agree upon a child support amount rather than having a judge decide for you based on the California guidelines. You must put your agreement in writing, and both you and the other parent must sign the agreement before submitting it to the court for approval. The court has the right to reject agreements if they do not appear to serve the child's best interest.
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