What do you need to know about child support?
What do you need to know about child support?
All dependent children have a legal right to be financially supported by their parents. When parents live together with their children, they support the children together. Parents who do not live together often have an arrangement in which a child lives most of the time with one parent.
Can a noncustodial parent pay for child support?
The noncustodial parent’s share is payable as child support, while the custodial parent’s obligation is retained and presumed to be spent directly on the child. Several states, including California, New York, Virginia, Michigan, Colorado and others use the Income Shares Model to determine child support payments.
Who is responsible for child support after a divorce?
Both parents have the responsibility to support their children financially. When a divorce occurs and one parent has physical custody of the children, that parent’s responsibility is fulfilled by being the custodial parent. The other parent then makes a child support payment to fulfill their non-custodial parent financial responsibilities.
What is the legal definition of child support?
The legal definition of child support (according to Legal Dictionary) is funds ordered by the court for one parent to pay to the other to assist in the cost of raising their shared children.
Who are the staff at child support services?
Child Support Services staff act in the public interest and do not represent either side of a child support case. A complete list of services provided can be found here; these services are provided at little or no cost. If you are thinking of opening a case, or have been named in a child support case, contact us right away.
Where can I get help with child support?
Our goal is to create a system where children can count on their parents for the financial and emotional support they need to be healthy and successful. Our Customer Service Center is available to all customers with child support cases serviced by the DSS Child Support Services Division and all private cases enforced by the Clerks of Court.
Why is it important to have a child support case?
Having a case with Child Support Services creates a record of all child support payments, provides a neutral go-between for parents, and can help both parents avoid court and assist with navigating the child support system. Child Support Services staff act in the public interest and do not represent either side of a child support case.
Who is the parent who pays child support?
The parent who the child lives with most of the time is often called the custodial parent. The other parent is often called the non-custodial parent. Generally, the non-custodial parent pays child support to the custodial parent.