What factors in to a child support decision?

If you and your spouse have a child and you decide it is time for a divorce, then child custody and child support will be issues that need to be handled. Child support is usually involved if one parent has sole custody and the other doesn’t. If the parents share custody, then child support payments are less likely.

If child support payments are involved, however, then you and your spouse will have to deal with child support determination, and possibly a judge’s ultimate ruling on the matter. With that in mind, it is important to take not of the factors that could eventually determine what your child support payments will be — regardless of whether you end up being the paying or receiving spouse.

Child support depends largely on the child, and his or her needs. Education, insurance, and other needs will weigh heavily into the final determination on child support. The financial health of the splitting spouses will also play a major role, as will the “financial potential” of the parents. In addition, the standard of living before the divorce, and then after the divorce, will be a big part of the ultimate determination on child support.

Even with these known factors that impact child support, it is impossible to draw an accurate road map for how your child support case will be handled. Every case will be a little different, and every factor will have a bigger or smaller impact on each individual case, depending on the circumstances. For that reason alone, it is vital to have legal support on your side during child support discussions.