Child Support

Child support is money paid from one parent to the other to help cover the costs of raising a child — food, housing, clothing, healthcare, and education. It's not optional when ordered by a court; it's a legal obligation. The paying parent is typically the one who earns more or has the child less of the time (or both).

Every state uses a formula to calculate child support, though the specific formula varies. Most states consider both parents' incomes, the custody time split, and certain expenses like healthcare costs and childcare. Some states use an 'income shares model' that estimates what both parents would spend on the child if they were together; others use a 'percentage of income' model based on the paying parent's income alone.

Child support orders can be modified if circumstances change — a parent loses a job, gets a significant raise, or the custody arrangement changes. And they are enforced seriously: a parent who fails to pay can face wage garnishment, tax refund interception, license suspension, and even jail time in extreme cases.

Child support is your child's legal right — it's meant to ensure that both parents contribute financially to raising the child, even after divorce. Understanding how it's calculated in your state helps you set realistic expectations and identify whether a proposed amount is fair.

If you're the receiving parent, child support supplements your income to help cover the child's expenses — it's not income for you personally, and in most post-2019 divorces it's not taxable. If you're the paying parent, know that the obligation exists regardless of visitation disputes — you can't withhold support because you're not getting your parenting time.