What Is Income for Child Support Purposes?
Child support is mandatory in every state across America to ensure the child’s financial needs are met. Some factors determine the income for child support purposes.
Each state is mandated by its own set of rules and regulations. Maryland has the Maryland Child Support Guidelines as a reference to determine the custodial parent’s income to figure out how much will be paid to the custodial parent. But there are cases where it can be more complex.
The custody arrangements of the child determine other factors. One parent may have full custody or share in joint custody. All of these are factored in by the Maryland child support calculator.
Contact LEVIN GANN PA for any questions concerning income for child support purposes.
What Is Considered Income for Child Support Purposes?
The court will begin by considering each parent’s monthly income. They will review the following to come up with an adequate amount.
- Salary
- Benefits from Social Security
- Bonuses
- Business Income
- Capital gains
- Commission
- Dividends
- Disability
- Rental income
- Interest income
Some items are not included in the calculations. They are as follows:
- Supplemental Security Income
- Food Stamps
- Aid to Families with Dependent Children
- Temporary Aid for Needy Families
Additional Considerations from the Court
Additional essential considerations are among the following that will also determine the child support payments:
- Work-related child care
- Medical expenses
- Health insurance
Laws for child support payments changed after July 1, 2022, which moved the bracket up for household incomes to $360,000 a year. This means any income earned over that amount, and the court will have the final say and adjust the child support payments accordingly.
The state of Maryland also allows the parent seeking child support to obtain the fees of their attorney factored in the awarded child support income.
How a Family Law Attorney Can Help
It is critical to contact the most reliable family law attorney in Townson, MD, for such cases of child support. If the party decides to represent themselves in court, they stand a great chance of coming short of what is owed to them.
Everything begins with a consultation to determine the situation and see if there is a case. An attorney knows the laws of Maryland regarding child support income, and they know how the state of Maryland works to factor in the amount. They can handle the cases for either side; those who are owed child support or those who are paying child support.
Parents Owed Child Support
The attorney will work to factor in the amount of child support income owed; then, they will look into seeing if the custodial parent is paying the bill. They will also look to see if they are paying enough for the fair amount ordered by the courts.
Child support assists with expenses for food, clothing, education, recreation, sports, and the child’s medical well-being. It is the domicile parent’s responsibility and duty to ensure the payments are for the child’s purposes. The domicile parent has a right to go after child support from the other parent because the child must come first in the financial situation of their well-being and care.
Parents Paying Child Support
Unfortunately, there are some situations where the proof is there that the child may not be getting the child support payments for the intended purposes. The attorney can investigate to find out if that is the case and possibly work to change custody orders.
Sometimes things happen to the custodial parent who pays faithfully when they lose income. An attorney can get a judge to reduce the amount according to the changes. Documents or written proof is required to make these changes, but only the judge will have the final decision. The lawyer works as the advocate between the client and the judge.
As divorce continues at high rates, families with children need to ensure that the kids are well taken care of by the two parents. Sometimes, the parents cannot agree, and this is where a family law attorney in Townson can assist in ensuring the child’s financial well-being is handled. Contact LEVIN GANN PA to set up a consultation to review the case and get control of child support payments today.