What You Need to Know About Child Support in New Jersey

When parents get divorced, they most often fight over issues such as alimony or child support. Unfortunately, the truth is, the real victims in this situation are the children, which is why New Jersey courts settle child support terms on the basis of providing a reasonable level of stability for your child. However, courts are not always correct in their determinations, so if you find yourself in this situation, you must read on and reach out to our experienced New Jersey child support attorneys to learn more about how we can help.

How does child custody influence child support?

The two primary factors that affect the amount of child support New Jersey courts are willing to give are the percentage of time one parent spends with his or her child, as well as whether the supporting parent has sole or shared custody. For example, if a parent spends 28% or more of overnight time per year with his or her children, it is considered shared custody. Less than 28% of the time is considered sole custody.

What do New Jersey courts use to calculate child support?

When courts calculate child support, they will consider various aspects of you and your spouse’s financial situations to best determine the amount of child support needed. They will consider some of the following

  • Each parents’ current marital status
  • Both parents’ income
  • Your children’s age
  • The amount of parenting time assigned to each party

Will courts ever divert from standard child support guidelines?

The most important factor in a court’s decision is your child’s best interest. Therefore, if certain factors of your life or financial situation call for additional child support, the judge should award it. Some factors that may warrant an exception are as follows:

  • One parent has un-reimbursed or very high medical expenses
  • The children require certain educational expenses, such as higher education or training
  • One household has six or more children living in it
  • A child has special needs that need to be taken into account

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.

Our experienced divorce and family attorneys are here to help you understand and successfully navigate the various legal issues that may arise moving forward such as temporary child custody agreements, child custody agreements, domestic violence restraining orders, and more.

To speak with our team of divorce lawyers today in a free and confidential consultation regarding your concerns about moving out of your marital home during your divorce, please contact us online, or through our Hackensack, NJ office at (201) 397-1750.

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