If you are a divorcing parent that is financially dependent on your spouse, there is a very good chance that you will require child support to uphold your child’s standard of living, however, you are most likely wondering, “what does child support really cover?” Please continue reading and reach out to our experienced Bergen County family law attorneys to learn more about child support and how our firm can help you receive it. Here are some of the questions you may have:
How do New Jersey courts calculate child support?
There are formal guidelines and formulas New Jersey uses to determine the amount of child support owed. These statutes are specific, though they are generally based on the following factors:
- Your child custody agreement
- The amount of parenting time by the non-custodial parent
- The annual income of both parents
- The marital status of both parents
- The age and number of children involved
- Whether there are any children from previous relationships involved
What does child support cover?
Three types of expenses are eligible for consideration for child support: fixed, controlled, and variable. Fixed expenses are those which remain constant such as mortgages, rent, utilities, and insurance payments. Controlled expenses are every day, expected expenses that do not change much, including clothing, scheduled activities, and hygienic products. Variable expenses are daily expenses that generally fall on the parent who is responsible for the child at the time such as transportation, food, recreational activities, and entertainment. The following are eligible for consideration under child support in New Jersey:
- Food – all food and drink products are eligible for consideration under child support excluding tobacco and alcohol
- Housing – Mortgage payments, taxes, home insurance, loans, essential services such as housecleaning and lawn care maintenance all may be covered by child support
- Clothing – New Jersey regulations consider clothing as all clothing and footwear, including school uniforms
- Unreimbursed Medical and Dental Expenses – this may include co-pays, health care products, over the counter drugs, and any other common medical or dental expenses which fall outside of insurance coverage may be considered up to $250
- Transportation – expenses incurred for transportation including lease payments, auto payments, regularly scheduled car maintenance, public transportation, gas, oil changes, tow bills, tolls, and parking expenses
If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to speak with our knowledgeable New Jersey family law attorneys today to learn more about how we can help you.
Contact our experienced Bergen County firm
At Townsend, Tomaio & Newmark, our attorneys have extensive experience helping clients to understand and protect their legal rights before, during, and after the divorce process in towns across New Jersey and Bergen County, including Hackensack, Ridgewood, Paramus, Teaneck, and Fort Lee. To speak with our team of divorce lawyers today in a free and confidential consultation regarding your concerns about your divorce, please contact us online, or through our Hackensack, NJ office at (201) 397-1750.
