Like other states, New Jersey has child support guidelines that courts are supposed to follow when entering their child support orders.
One purpose of these guidelines is to make sure that parents get treated consistently no matter who their judge is.
In many if not most cases, support guidelines can make determining child support a relatively conflict-free process. After all, each parent’s child support obligation depends on a formula.
However, there are certain issues that can come up in child support cases that could require parents to work out their differences.
Court litigation is possible no matter the income and resources of the parents. However, issues frequently arise when one or both parents earn a high income, pay many child-related expenses or draw income from several sources:
- The guidelines don’t contemplate parents having a combined net income greater than $187,200 a year. While support must be at least the guideline amount for $187,200, whether to award more support, and how much, is up to the court.
- Income has a broad definition in New Jersey, and this can create conflict. For example, there can be disputes about how much support a parent owes when they are receiving money from sources other than their regular paycheck.
- Child support orders do not account for certain special expenses like large uninsured medical expenses or college expenses. Parents may disagree both about whether these expenses or even necessary and which one of them is in the best position to pay them.
- New Jersey courts are allowed to deviate from the state guidelines or even ignore them for certain reasons.
A Burlington County parent with a child support issue should know their options
Getting an accurate and fair child support order is important for both parents. Even when both parents genuinely want to meet their children’s needs, the reality is that incorrectly calculated child support orders can leave a parent unfairly facing their own financial hardships.
Burlington County parents who expect they will have to litigate or negotiate a question about child support should make sure they understand their legal options.