Parents who divorce or no longer live together have to share parental responsibilities. They need to divide parenting time and decision-making authority. They also need to cooperate to meet the financial needs of their children.
The courts enforce the obligation to provide financial assistance to minors by ordering child support. Every child support order is unique. Certain key factors about the family influence the support order.
What do the courts consider when deciding how much support one parent should provide to the other?
1. Parental income
In many families, one parent may focus more on their career than the other. They may earn substantially more as a result. Significant discrepancies in income can influence the amount of child support ordered.
2. The number of children
The bigger a family is, the more costly it is to meet the needs of all of the children. The courts consider the number of children in the family when deciding the amount of support to order. Any pre-existing child support orders for children from other relationships can also potentially influence the final amount of child support.
3. Parenting time
Some parents strive for a 50/50 division of parenting time where they both spend as much time as they can with the children. Other times, one parent remains focused on their career while the other continues to serve as a primary caregiver even after the couple divorces. The greater the discrepancy in overnight stays, the more child support the courts may require.
Learning about the rules for New Jersey child support orders can help parents estimate their child support obligations or understand what they could potentially receive. Child support can help parents cover basic expenses and can ensure a more consistent standard of living between the two parental households.