Child Support

What is Child Support?

Child support is an award made in a legal proceeding for the care, support and education of any child of the marriage or of the parties.

• "Child" means an individual less than 18 years of age, an individual under age 20 who is still attending secondary school, or an individual who, by reason of physical or mental condition, is incapable of self-support.
• "Basic support" means the basic support obligation of a party.  Basic support includes the dollar amount ordered for a child's housing, food, clothing, transportation, and education costs, and other expenses relating to the child's care. Basic support does not include monetary contributions for a child's child care expenses and medical and dental expenses.

What about Medical Expenses?

• "Medical support" means providing health care coverage for a joint child by carrying health care coverage for the joint child or by contributing to the cost of health care coverage, public coverage, unreimbursed medical expenses, and uninsured medical expenses of the joint child.
• "Uninsured medical expenses" means a joint child's reasonable and necessary health-related expenses if the joint child is not covered by a health plan or public coverage when the expenses are incurred.
• "Unreimbursed medical expenses" means a joint child's reasonable and necessary health-related expenses if a joint child is covered by a health plan or public coverage and the plan or coverage does not pay for the total cost of the expenses when the expenses are incurred. Unreimbursed medical expenses do not include the cost of premiums. Unreimbursed medical expenses include, but are not limited to, deductibles, co-payments, and expenses for orthodontia, and prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses, but not over-the-counter medications if coverage is under a health plan.

What about Child Care Expenses?

Child care expenses are generally expenses for daycare or other child care costs a parent incurs for a child while the parent is in school or at work.

How is Child Support Calculated?

There are several components that need to be reviewed for purposes of calculating child support, including the gross incomes of both parents, child care expenses, medical care expenses, if the person required to pay support has non-joint children, parenting time, and various other factors.  We encourage you to contact your family law attorney if you have questions regarding the calculation of child support.