California Child Support Guidelines

California Child Support GuidelinesIf you have a child, you are responsible for the child’s financial support. Your financial responsibility for your child does not end when you end your relationship with the child’s other parent. 

Child support obligations after a divorce can impact your and your child’s standard of living. California child support guidelines provide a baseline for calculating payments, but judges have discretion to deviate from these standards. It is essential that the court calculates your payments correctly. 

The Beverly Hills child support attorneys of Berenji & Associates have been assisting families in Beverly Hills, CA, with their legal issues for more than 25 years. We can protect your right to pay or receive fair child support. 

Contact our law firm to schedule a case evaluation with a child support lawyer in Beverly Hills, California. 

How Berenji & Associates Can Help With Your Child Support Case in Beverly Hills

How Berenji & Associates Can Help With Your Child Support Case in Beverly HillsThousands of individuals have trusted the Beverly Hills child support lawyers of Berenji & Associates with their most sensitive legal issues. Our attorneys understand what is at stake in a divorce and do everything in their power to achieve the outcome you desire. 

When you hire our legal team to help with your child support issues, you can expect us to:

  • Explain the child support process to you 
  • Help you gather information to calculate child support obligations
  • Consider your child’s  special needs, costs, or college expenses
  • Negotiate fair and just child support obligations with your partner
  • Assist you in petitioning for a modification of child support when you have a change in circumstances

Our Beverly Hills child support lawyers fight to protect your and your child’s best interests. Call us today to schedule your case review.

Child Support in California

The child support laws in California set the amount of child support a parent must pay. Child support payments are made from one parent to the other parent to assist in providing for the child’s needs. Generally, the non-custodial parent pays child support to the custodial parent.

California child custody laws prefer joint custody so that both parents remain active in the child’s life. However, that does not mean that child support will not be ordered. The court may issue a child support order for one or both parents.

California Child Support Formula

California courts use standard guidelines to calculate child support obligations. First, parents must complete an income and expense declaration. Before beginning the declaration, you will need your tax return, evidence of income from all sources, your timeshare schedule or parenting time plan, and pay stubs or other evidence of deductions from income required by federal law.

Your child support calculation is based on the mandatory formula of CS = K[HN – (H%)(TN)]. The initials represent the following information:

  • CS – Child Support
  • K – Total of both parents’ income
  • HN – Total disposable income for the higher-earning parent
  • H% – The amount of time the higher-earning parent spends as the primary caregiver
  • TN – The combined net monthly total of disposable income for both parents

The formula looks very complicated. However, it is intended to reduce litigation and provide uniformity. Even though the formula looks difficult, child support is calculated using the parents’ net disposable income and the amount of time each parent spends with the child as the primary caregiver.

Parent income includes income from all sources except existing child support payments for children from another relationship and income from public assistance programs. 

However, there are other factors that the court may consider when ordering a parent to pay child support. Therefore, child support may not be a simple as entering figures into a mandatory mathematical formula.

Courts May Consider Other Expenses When Ordering Child Support

The judge generally orders the parents to pay for child care, health care, education costs, and the child’s special needs. Health insurance is also a factor when deciding the final support payment. The judge may order one parent to pay these costs or divide the costs between the parents. 

Parents May Choose to Pay Higher Child Support Amounts or Longer Durations of Child Support

Parents may negotiate a child support agreement. However, the law requires that the parent pays at least an amount equal to or above the child support guidelines. The court carefully reviews the parents’ financial information and the agreement to ensure the payments abide by the law.

Generally, child support obligations end when a child turns 18 years old. However, the support payments can continue until the child graduates high school or turns 19 years old. Child support may end earlier if the child joins the military, gets married, or becomes self-supporting before reaching 18 years old.

Parents may also negotiate a longer-term for child support payments. For example, a parent may pay child support payments during college or continue payments for a child with special needs or a disability. 

Schedule a Consultation With Our Beverly Hills Child Support Lawyers

Child support should be a simple issue of completing the mathematical formula in the California child support guidelines. However, many circumstances can complicate child support payments. Multiple children with different parenting times, unique expenses, hidden income, and other issues could result in an unfair child support order.

Our Beverly Hills child support lawyers handle complex child support cases. Let us help you ensure your child support obligations are fair and legal.