How Is Child Support Determined in California?

Parents are legally required to provide for their children. If a child lives with one parent the majority of the time, the other parent will usually be required to pay child support, or financial support that helps pay for the child's basic needs. There are also many other factors that come into account when establishing child support. If two parents are not able to reach their own child support agreement, a judge will need to decide who will be responsible for these payments and how much will need to be paid. The state of California uses a formula, or a "guideline calculation," to decide the child support amount. Here are the various factors that are used in this calculation:

• The income and earning capacity of each parent
• The amount of time each parent has the child in his or her care
• The number of children the parents have together
• Either parent's support of children from other relationships
• Each parent's tax filing status
• Health insurance costs
• The cost of shared daycare and uninsured healthcare expenses
• Either parent's required union dues
• Either parent's required retirement contributions
• Other factors

Child support agreements and orders are usually established as part of the divorce process, though they may also arise in other situations, such as when unmarried parents split up or when paternity of a child is established. Once a child support order is established, it becomes enforceable by law.

Consult with a Roseville attorney!

If you need help getting a child support order established, you can turn to our Roseville lawyer at the Law Offices of Frank F. Ali for dedicated legal counsel. We can help you look out for the best interests of you and your children, whether you are negotiating a child support agreement with the other parent or trying to obtain a fair court judgment concerning this matter. Contact our firm for legal assistance!