Child Support Guidelines

Child support is crucial for most custodial parents and determining the amount of the child
support that you should be receiving plus any other support that the non-custodial parent should be remitting to you is an important part of ensuring your child's well being. The first step is to know what the child support guidelines are in your State.

Child support guidelines are different from one state to another. If you do not have a family law attorney who can provide the child support guidelines to you, there are numerous resources online that will provide Federal and State guidelines for child support to you.

Child Support is For Families

The Administration for Children and Families is a resourceful website to obtain information about child support and other issues that affect the health and well being of parents and children. They offer child support information, newsletters, forms and fact sheets that can help you to understand child support guidelines.  Visit their website to gather information that may be pertinent to your child support case. Find resources for child support collection agencies and enforcement agencies in your location and read about visitation and custody issues that often accompany matter s of child support.

Calculating Child Support

Most states provide parents with an easy to use worksheet that assists in the calculation and determination of the amount of child support the non-custodial parent should pay to help support the children living with the custodial parent. Depending on which state you live in, visitation and custody or time spent with each parent will also help to determine the amount of child support that is paid. The child support worksheet, along with other tools can provide a general idea of how much child support and daycare costs are needed and what portion each parent has to pay to contribute to the children’s needs.  However, it is up to the family judge as to what amount will be ordered. Contact your child support office or go online to download the child support worksheets or to learn about child support guidelines in your state. 

Understanding Child Support Guidelines

Understanding child support guidelines may be difficult for some parents and often times if you are going through a divorce and lack legal representation, the child support guidelines may confuse you. To ensure that your children will receive the proper amount of child support, you should seek the advice of a child support attorney in your state or visit your local child support office so they can assist you in obtaining the proper amount of child support from the non-custodial parent.