If you and your spouse are separating or are having a child while unmarried, it’s crucial to discuss and consider child support. Every circumstance is unique, but whether you will be the custodial parent or non-custodial parent, determining the precise and fair child support payments is important to move forward with raising a child.
Here at the Law Office of Blake Rush, we specialize in all areas of family law, including child support, because having a lawyer on your side with the best interests of you and your child is necessary.
New Jersey Child Support Law
In New Jersey, the law states that both parents must financially support their children. With married parents, both parents would financially combine their earnings to help care for their kids. The New Jersey Law for child support is designed to mirror this ideal for unmarried and separating parents to ensure both parents meet their children’s needs financially.
The court will take a combined total of both parents’ net incomes to inform the non-custodial parent, the mother or father without physical custody, how much they will need to pay the custodial parent, the mother or father who has physical custody.
Calculating Net Income
The child support payments are based on the parents’ net incomes, defined in New Jersey’s child support guidelines Appendix IX-B. Gross income, including all recurring earned and unearned income such as regular compensation, bonuses, Social Security, gambling winnings, etc., will first be calculated for each party. Then, the net income total is determined by subtracting various regular payments such as taxes, alimony, union dues, etc.
Though parents can try to calculate this total on their own, working with an expert New Jersey Child Support Lawyer is your best option. Your attorney will ensure the estimated total includes all variables to give you the best idea of how much child support you need to pay or receive.
Calculating Child Support in New Jersey
The basis for determining child support payments is based on the amount of time spent with the child and the expenses, such as housing, transportation, food, healthcare, etc.
If the child spends 100 percent of their time living with the custodial parent, their child support payments are defined and determined under Appendix IX-F and the sole parenting worksheet Appendix IX-C. If the child spends at least 28 percent to 50 percent of their nights with the non-custodial parent during the year, child support payments may be calculated based on the shared parenting worksheet Appendix IX-D.
When calculating child support in New Jersey, the courts will also consider any and all additional expenses that help take care of the child and give them what they need to be happy and properly taken care of. Every case is different, and the courts will consider each circumstance upon determining final payment amounts.
Child Support Lawyer in Clinton, NJ
The attorneys at the Law Office of Blake W. Rush have more than 16 years of experience helping parents decide and work out custody agreements, visitation rights, and child support payments. If you’re looking for a child support attorney in New Jersey, we’re the team to help you.
Give us a call at (903) 713-9800 or visit our website to contact us and learn more about how we can help you.