Child Support

WHAT IS A CHILD SUPPORT ORDER?
A Child Support Order is a document from a court that states (a) when, (b) how often, and (c) how much a parent is to pay for child support. A Child Support Order is typically part of a divorce decree or paternity judgment.

WHO CAN BE ORDERED TO PAY IT?
A court can order either parent of a child to pay support to other parent. The court order for support is usually payable on a monthly basis. Many states now require that child support be paid by wage assignment (automatic deductions from the paycheck) whenever available, thus reducing the need for subsequent enforcement actions.

HOW IS THE AMOUNT OF CHILD SUPPORT DETERMINED?
Federal law now requires that the amount of a child support payment be set in accordance with a guideline. Having a guideline is believed to prevent widely different amounts of child support being ordered from courtroom to courtroom. Guidelines provide an objective basis for the determination of the amount of support to be paid. As a result, most states have established formulas that are used to determine the amount of the payment from one parent to the other.