Child Support Calculator | Child Support Payment Calculator

A child support calculator is used to calculate your child support obligations but unfortunately each state in the United States uses a different child support calculator so there is no one child support payment calculator that you can use-it will really depend on the state that you are in.
However the good news is that practically every state provides a child support calculator on the internet on a website which deals with all matters to do with the courts of that state. For example California bases their child support obligations on a guideline which considers the following-

The income of both parents
And other income aside from salary such as rental or investments
How many children the parents have together
The tax filing status of each parent
How much time they spend with the children
Union dues payable
Health expenses incurred
Retirement contributions
And uninsured health care costs
Day care costs
And many other factors.

Child Support Calculators

It is important to note that all of the child support calculators that you will access on the various court websites of each state will only provide you with an estimate of your likely child support payments. Ultimately it will be a matter for the Family law judge to decide on the final child support amount payable and he/she will make a court order to this effect which is legally binding. This order can subsequently be amended if circumstances of either or both parents change.

Child support orders can be obtained in family law court when you get an annulment, divorce or legal separation or when you establish parentage or if you are forced to get a domestic violence restraining order. Generally child support calculators are set up on the basis that the child or children live with one parent and will not provide for situations of joint physical custody where parents share the custody of the child.

So treat these child support calculators with caution as they will only provide you with a guideline and custody orders can always be modified by the court in your state should circumstances change and the need arises. You can check out a guide to using a child support calculator by clicking on the link below which allows you to download the guide booklet for the California child support calculator and it explains how to use the child support calculator properly in California. Each state that provides a child support payment calculator will also provide a helpful guide similar to this one which will guide you through using the child support calculator for your state.Download your California child support payment calculator explanatory booklet here.

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