What are the basics about child support?

When couples who have children begin the divorce process to end their married relationship, they are probably fully aware that child support will be one of the important issues to address in the legal process. However, many of those same couples have questions about how important determinations will be made about child support in their own unique cases. So, what are the basics about child support?

Well, for starters, the typical situation in which child support will be ordered by the court is when the children involved in the case will be spending more time with one parent over the other, as is usually the case when the children live with one parent and not the other. In those types of situations, the “non-custodial” parent will be the one who is ordered to pay child support to the other parent.

Unless the parties are able to reach an out-of-court agreement about the amount of child support that will be paid, it will be up to the court to determine the appropriate amount of child support. The court will do so by relying upon the appropriate child support guidelines, which are used in family law courts throughout the state.

It is important for the parents who are ordered to pay child support to understand that this is a court order – it must be obeyed. Child support payments must be made on time and in the correct amount. Failure to obey the court order could result in negative consequences, such as intervention from the local prosecutor’s office.