Is child support affected by parenting time during or after a Shepherdsville or Bullitt County divorce? Is there a relationship between the amount of time each child spends with each parent and the amount of child support to be paid or received?
We are often asked this question, and to provide an answer, we have to lay some groundwork. Child support is a calculation that is systematically determined based on several factors associated with each parent. These include, but are not limited to, the income of each party, the provision of health or life insurance, the number of and ages of the children in the household, existing child support orders (as in from a previous marriage), childcare requirements, special needs and health of each child and even the employability of each parent.
It isn’t appropriate to manipulate employment (including the lack of work or under-employment) in order to receive child support or reduce the amount of child support you will be required to pay.
Once the child support calculator has established the numbers, a conversation begins. Kentucky family law clearly establishes it is in the best interest of the child to spend the same amount of quality time with each parent. This is another starting point. Hypothetically, if both parties earn roughly the same amount of income and parenting is equally shared, there will not likely be a need for child support. Is child support affected by parenting time? Yes, generally speaking, the amount of time each child spends with each parent can affect the resulting need for and amount of child support.
My name is John Schmidt, and after more than 25 years of experience in family law matters here in Shepherdsville and Bullitt County I can also tell you each case is unique. One must balance the need for support with the ability to pay support, the requirements of each child, the time that child will spend in each household, as well as the overall amount each party is contributing to the costs associated with housing, food, education, healthcare, childcare and other aspects of parenting.
This is where experience comes into play. I am able to provide sound advice and counsel to my clients as we weigh the alternative aspects of parenting time, the needs of the child, the lifestyle the child is used to, health care and education, the income of each parent, and all other factors associated with the equation. There is always room for negotiation in each aspect of child custody, visitation, and support. When the parties work together to reach an agreement, it is much more likely that each party will abide by it in the future than if an order were imposed upon them by the Court.
What is in the best interests of each child? What are the financial and parenting responsibilities of each party? There are many factors to balance, which is why it is important to work with an experienced family law attorney when approaching questions such as “Is child support affected by parenting time during or after a Shepherdsville or Bullitt County divorce?”
We invite you to contact us via e-mail, schedule an appointment or call us today at (502) 509-1490 to get answers to your questions and to learn more about your unique circumstances and how to protect what is most important to you in your family law case.