How to Fill Out a Child Support Financial Affidavit If I Am Remarried?

A child support financial affidavit, or family law financial affidavit, provides the court with a picture of your income and expenses, and the changes in them since your remarriage. Child support is usually based on your net income: The information in the income portion of the affidavit must match your pay stubs or other records in the case of a self-employed person. If you show a negative --- your expenses are more than your income --- on the financial affidavit, the court may look to see what payments are required and what aren't required, but the court doesn't care what you spend on yourself. You have an obligation to support your children --- the court follows the guidelines for your state to determine child support, even if you're remarried.

Instructions

1. Complete the income section of the child support financial affidavit. Include only your income. If you're a W-2 employee, copy the information for your income and taxes from one of your pay stubs. Multiply your check amount by 52 if you're paid weekly, or by 26 if you're paid twice per month. Divide the result by 12 to get your monthly pay. If you get paid twice per month, multiply the amount of one check by two to get your monthly income. If you're a 1099 employee, divide your yearly income by 12 to get the average monthly amount you make.

2. Fill in the monthly expenses portion of the financial affidavit. If you pay 100 percent of the bills, enter the full amount of the bill. If the bill changes monthly, such as electric bill, enter the average amount you pay each month. For example, if your electric bill is $200 during the winter and $300 during the summer, enter $250. If you pay half of the bill and your spouse pays half, enter half of the average. In this example, you would enter $125.

3. Complete the liabilities section. Liabilities are long-term bills, such as a mortgage or a car payment. If you pay the entire liability and it's in your name only, enter the full monthly payment. If the liability is joint, such as a shared car payment or credit card payment, enter half of the monthly payment.

4. Fill out the asset section. Because you're remarried, most of your assets are probably held jointly with your new spouse. Your state's financial affidavit has a column where you can enter your interest in each asset. If you and your new spouse own an jointly, state that you own it jointly. If not, state that you own 100 percent of the interest in the asset. If your new spouse owns an asset herself and you don't own any interest in it, don't list the asset.

5. Sign and notarize the affidavit. Make two copies. File the original affidavit with the court, mail a copy to your ex-spouse, or, if he has an attorney, to his attorney. The last copy is for your records.