Does the Number of Children Affect Child Support Payments?
If you are divorcing in New Jersey and have children, you should understand how child support works. Not everyone pays the same amount. Child support is based on several factors, including the income of both parents, the custody arrangement, state laws and formulas, and the child’s needs. In addition, the number of children a person has can also affect child support payments.
This should make sense to most people. Why would someone who has three children pay the same amount of child support as someone with one child?
In New Jersey, there is a formula that is commonly used. Based on the formula, the support for one child is 17% of your income. If your monthly income is $10,000, then you will be paying $1,700 in child support to the custodial parent each month.
However, if you have multiple children, you do not pay 17% for each child. Instead, there is a formula involved. For two children, you would pay 25%. You would pay 29% for three children. Four children amount to 31%. Five or more children are capped at 35%.
However, these amounts are not set in stone. Courts can deviate from standard guidelines for various reasons to ensure the best interests of the child. Some common reasons include:
- Special needs of the child.
- High or low incomes of parents.
- Extraordinary expenses incurred by either parent.
New Jersey law also says that the amount of child support paid or received should not make a parent poor. There are special guidelines in place that prevent a parent from paying too much or receiving too little.
What is Considered Income?
The formula is based on income, but what exactly does this mean? It’s not as straightforward as you think. If you work, you earn income, whether based on an hourly wage, salary, or commission. However, under the law, even if you do not work, you may be considered to earn an income.
Unemployment benefits are considered income. So are lottery winnings. If you work overtime, that needs to be included as income as well. Pretty much the only exception would be welfare benefits.
Something that divorced parents may not know is that if a parent does not work but is able to do so, the court will figure out their imputed income. This is defined as the amount of money that the nonworking parent is capable of earning. That amount will then be used as their income to calculate child support.
Contact Us Today
All children need to be financially supported by their parents. The more children a person has, the more they will pay for child support.
If you are a custodial parent, you want to have the financial support to provide for your children’s needs. If you are a non-custodial parent, you want to support your children without straining your finances. A Cherry Hill child support attorney from Fiore Law can assist in these situations. To schedule a consultation, call our office at (856) 214-8964.