Child Support New Jersey
Divorce is many things: the end of a marriage; a stressful upheaval in a family; maybe the loss of a family home. But divorce, also, is very much a financial consideration: how much money might I hope to receive in alimony? How am I going to afford to pay for groceries, the monthly mortgage and cover the insurance co-pay? Will I receive New Jersey child support? Child support: if you have children, you may be in the position of receiving child support from your former spouse or co-parent— or paying your former spouse or co-parent child support.
How is Child Support Determined in New Jersey?
Unless a set of parents earn an equal or a similar amount of income and share a 50/50 custodial
parenting split (often referred to as joint custody), child support will be ordered by the Court,
from one parent to another.
New Jersey uses Child Support Guidelines to determine how much child support one parent
may pay the other (you may actually read all of the child support guidelines and worksheets at
the Court’s official website here).
Child support itself is based upon a variety of factors:
- Fair Income – W-2 income, 1099 income, overtime, commission, bonuses: all income streams are considered when figuring out how much each parent makes. With the U.S. Department of Labor estimating 63% of American households who have children feature two working parents,
there’s a good chance there’s more than one revenue stream of income. - Taxes and Deductibles – Unfortunately very few (with exceptions) deductibles are permitted, according to the guidelines.
- Combined Net Income – Here we come to the totals per parent. In determining child support, this is the amount that will factor most significantly. The key to look for here is income disparity; does one parent make significantly more than the other?
- Deductions for Parenting Time – If a non-custodial parent tends to spend more time with a/the child(ren), the Court may consider this in calculating child support.
- Special Factors – Health insurance, daycare, extracurricular activities— the Court may consider all aspects of costs related to the health and happiness of rearing a minor.
Why Do You Need a New Jersey Child Support Attorney?
Whether you’re the parent who will receive child support or the parents who will pay it out (as
New Jersey considers child support to be a parental obligation and a child’s right until
emancipation, it figures in almost every divorce), you will want a New Jersey Child Support
Attorney— a family lawyer who understands child support— to help you navigate the system.
A New Jersey Child Support Attorney will help you address your needs: am I receiving enough
child support to adequately pay for the children? Do I need to petition the Court for more? Am I
paying too much child support? Are monies intended for the welfare of my children being
squandered by my ex-spouse?
Additionally, life circumstances change. Have I lost my job? Changed careers? Taken on a huge
expense? Experienced a windfall (say, a big bonus or raise at work)? These factors will
contribute to whether you wish to utilize a New Jersey Child Support Attorney to either attempt
to increase the amount of money you receive in child support or decrease the amount of
money you pay.
Finally, it’s worth remembering in most cases child support ends when the child turns 19 years
old and is no longer a minor in the Court’s view. However, in some circumstances (most usually,
say, attending college) child support may last until the child is the age of 23. Rarely does it go
beyond that unless a disability is considered.
At O’Cathain Law Group, we’re all about moving forward, and child support is a tool that helps
you do that. It’s an obligation, a right, and in some sense, a privilege, to both pay for and
receive funds that assist your child as they navigate childhood on the way to becoming an adult
member of society. Whether you are worried about receiving child support or paying child
support, a New Jersey Child Support Attorney can help.
Call our offices, fill out the intake form, or email a dedicated Family Law paralegal to speak with
a New Jersey Child Support Attorney at O’Cathain Law Group.