What is Child Support?
Child support is a payment made from one partner to another to assist with the needs of a child or children. It is generally a regular, pre-determined amount of money that is paid in regular calendar intervals, like every two weeks, as an example. Some people do not realize it is not just for divorce cases. It could be a standalone case or be included in separations, annulments and child protection court cases.
The custodial parent is the one who had custody, and the noncustodial is the parent without custody. Usually it’s the noncustodial parent that is ordered by the court to pay. If the child is in the custody of a foster parent or guardian, either parent could be responsible to still make payments. Ultimately, the payments are used to ensure that the child is able to maintain the standard of living they had while the parents were still married.
Benefits of Child Support
When a child (or children) of a divorced family get consistent child support payments, it ensures financial stability for the child moving forward. In some cases, these payments can help keep a parent with less or no income from need welfare or other public benefits that would hinder the upbringing of the child.
Because child support also applies to kids born out of wedlock, for an unwed mother this money can be the difference between prospering and living in poverty due to the expense that raising a child can bring. The parent can have peace of mind that they can be self-sufficient and afford the basics like food, shelter and more.
Studies show that Dads who consistently pay their child support payments participate more in their children’s lives. They tend to see them more often and keep up their needed responsibilities.
The Legal Side of Child Support
In 1984, a federal law was enacted. It was call the Child Support Enforcement Amendments. It was put in place to the various potential discrepancies in rulings in courts around the country. There were many unfair and unmanageable child support awards given before the mid-80s, so this law helped ensure that it didn’t happen in the future. Included in that law was:
- If a parent went more than one-month behind on their child support payments, that person’s employer could be informed would garnish the wages from the employee’s paycheck.
- If a parent went too delinquent on their responsibilities, the court could order a lien on that parent’s property.
- And lastly, any tax refunds a past-due parent earned, would go directly to the child support payment instead of their checking account.
Outside of these Federal laws, states all have very specific guidelines. They must consider the earnings of each parent in the support calculations to ensure the final court-ordered amount is fair.
Child support and all that goes with it can be a very emotional part of the divorce process. It’s important to know your state laws to make sure all parties are treated fairly. A child’s ongoing well-being can depend on it.
