There is more to child support than just applying the guidelines

On behalf of Scaringi Law posted in Family Law on Thursday, November 3, 2016.

Every parent in Pennsylvania and elsewhere is obligated to provide for their children emotionally, physically and financially. When parents are no longer married or living together, those obligations do not end. One parent is often required to make child support payments as a way to continue to provide for the children financially.

Every state has guidelines for determining the amount of child support to be paid, and Pennsylvania is no exception. Furthermore, like other states, those guidelines are often only the beginning of how the amount of support is calculated. The guidelines are a place to start, but every family is unique, and the process is more subjective than you might believe.

Regardless of whether you will be the parent receiving payments or making them, your circumstances beyond monthly income and number of children should be taken into consideration. If there are extraordinary circumstances that require a departure from the guidelines, that information will need to be presented to the conference officer, who is most often tasked with determining child support. Without specifics regarding you, your spouse and your children, an increase or decrease in the formula will not be made.

Your attorney will help you gather the evidence you need to support your position and will then present it to the conference officer. Child support is often a contentious issue for many parents, but ultimately, it is not for the parents, but for the children. Any issues that contravene or support their best interests need to be presented so that the amount of support fulfills the parental obligation of financial support, but the amount should also as fair as possible to both parents.