how does the amount for child support actually get determined?
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In 99% of cases, it’s a calculation set by a series of conditions and data. I’m not a lawyer, but from what I’ve gathered in most cases the general gist of the system works like this:
First, they calculate how much each of the parents make and use that to calculate how much each parent should contribute to the total cost of raising a child. Let’s say that the father makes 60% of the household income and the mother 40%.
Then, they calculate how much time the kids spend with each parent, which they use to determine how much each parent actually spends on the children (food, clothing, schooling, etc.). In our example, the mother is the main guardian, spending 75% of the time with the kids; for simplicity, we’ll say she also bears 75% of the expenses of the children. The father spends 25% of the time and 25% of the cost of the children.
Finally, they take what it costs to raise a child (let’s say 1500 a month given they’re a normal family, the kids do some extracurriculars like school sports and whatever) and calculate the imbalance between the incomes each parent receives and the expenses that each parent should bear.
In our example, the father should be spending 60% of those 1500 dollars, so 900 dollars, but only actually incurrs 25% of the 1500, around 375 dollars. The difference between the two, coming up to 525 dollars, would be the amount of child support the father owes the mother each month.
Keep in mind, this is *very* simplified, and each jurisdiction will have its own rules, how the costs are to be divided up, special circumstances, fixed and variable payments types, etc.
This depends entirely on the location. In the US, for example, each state sets its own rules. So there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, or even one-size-fits-most.
But *in general*, it’s based on each parents’ income, along with the expenses they pay that are related to the child (things like health insurance, etc).
As a general rule, in the United States, each state has its own laws about how child support payments are determined and who is responsible for paying. These laws are mostly similar, but there are significant differences
Essentially, the requires the couple to determine several factors:
**1. How much a child needs.** This includes costs for health care, education, clothes, travel, food, etc. Basically how much it costs to raise a child given each child’s individual needs and circumstances
**2. How much money each parent makes**
**3. How much time each parent spends caring for the child**
So, to make it really simply, Say parent A makes $9,000 per year, and Parent B makes $91,000 per year. That’s $100K per year, or $8333 per month combined. The child needs $1,000 per month
Parent B doesn’t have custody, and Parent A has full custody and raises the child 100% of the time, so parent A has to incur all the child care expenses
In this case, Parent B is responsible for 91% of the child’s needs, or $910, because Parent B makes 91% of the income. Parent A is responsible for 9%, or $90, so parent B has to pay parent A $910 per month because Parent B incurs none of the costs. If Parent B had 100% custody, Parent A would have to pay Parent A $90 per month
(This is simplified and only intended as an example)
In addition to all the great responses here, I would add that there may be a (your state) child support calculator app that you can plug data into to understand how it works and how different factors affect the analysis. It is a rough estimate that doesn’t take judicial discretion into account, but it’s worth looking at.
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