Child Support Deviation

Family Law / Child Support / Child Support Deviation

There are official child support guidelines that are presumed to be correct unless there is a showing that the amount of the support award would be unjust or inappropriate under the particular circumstances of a case. Factors which may be considered in adjusting a child support amount are:

1. special or unusual needs of a child;
2. obligations for other minor or handicapped children;
3. other court-ordered payments;
4. extended visitation or extraordinary costs for visitation;
5. mandatory wage deductions [including union dues];
6. disparity in income between the parents’ households;
7. benefits that either parent receives from remarriage or sharing living expenses with others;
8. the amount of taxes paid by a parent;
9. significant contributions from a parent [including lessons, sports equipment, or clothing];
10. the financial resources and earning capacity of the child;
11. the standard of living and circumstances of each parent and the standard of living the child would have enjoyed if the marriage had not been dissolved;
12. the physical and emotional conditions and needs of the child;
13. the medical and educational needs of the child;
14. the relative financial resources, other assets and resources, needs, and obligations of both the noncustodial and the custodial parent;
15. the need and capacity of the child for an education and the educational opportunities of the child;
16. the age of the child;
17. the earning ability of each parent;
18. the responsibility of each parent for the support of others;
19. the value of services contributed by the custodial parent; and
20. any other relevant factor.