← Back to series
Five Takeaways · Child Support — Part 1
Five Takeaways You Should Know About Child Support — Part 1
Auntie’s plain-talk primer on how child support actually works — the first five things.
01
There is no recovery for the months or years that it was never requested. Child support is awarded back to the date of filing.
02
Because of #1, the person paying support may actually be behind (in arrears) by the time they get to court if they have not been making voluntary payments.
03
Back-to-school clothes, Christmas gifts, birthday parties, and “buying Pampers” do not constitute child support.
04
The income of BOTH parties is used to determine child support. The calculation is generally based on predetermined guidelines (i.e., it is not personal).
05
Sharing equal time in parenting does not necessarily mean there will be no child support owed.