Child Support

Both parents have an obligation to support their child financially. When parents end their relationship through divorce, separation, or otherwise, a court will usually order the parent who does not have primary custody to pay a certain portion of his or her income for child support. The parents need not have been married for a court to order child support. Child support obligations usually continue until the child reaches 18 years of age or graduates from high school (whichever occurs later).

The amount of support a parent may be ordered to pay is usually governed by statutory guidelines. The guidelines require that a parent pay a certain percentage of his or her net financial resources (after deductions for income taxes, etc.).  The percentage the parent must pay depends on the number of children the parent is supporting.

Although the guidelines frequently control the amount of child support ordered, a court may deviate from the guidelines if the needs of the child or the circumstances of the parents warrant a change. How much child support a parent must pay varies greatly depending on the circumstances and must be determined on a case-by-case basis.