Managing the financial requirements of divorce may be difficult, especially when children are involved. Determining a child support amount requires careful consideration of many factors under New Jersey law. What are the common pitfalls that can complicate this process?
Complexities in child support calculations
Calculating fair child support can become challenging when parents face nontraditional employment or dispute expense details. Parents should know the specific issues that require legal clarification when applying the child support guidelines, such as:
- Determining actual income for self-employed parents: The court must sometimes impute an income if the reported earnings of a self-employed parent are suppressed or unclear.
- Qualifying for shared parenting: The use of the Shared Parenting Worksheet requires proof that a child spends a minimum number of overnights with the noncustodial parent.
- Dividing extraordinary expenses: Parents must agree on how to share costs for expenses not covered in the basic support amount. These can include private school tuition or certain medical bills.
- Handling high or low combined income: For combined net incomes above or below the guideline range, the court must use factors to set an appropriate support award.
These complexities mean that two families with similar incomes might receive widely different child support orders based on unique facts. In addition, a failure to accurately report data can result in an order that does not reflect the needs of the child or the ability of a parent to pay.
Serving the best interests of children
The financial future of children is vital, so divorcing parents must ensure every detail is correct. By seeking legal counsel, they may better navigate the divorce process, receiving the clarity necessary to pursue a support order that serves the best interests of their children.