On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Paternity/Child Support on Wednesday, January 24, 2018.
Raising children can be expensive, but fear of being the sole financial supporter should not deter Missouri parents from seeking divorce. In most cases, custodial parents in Missouri will usually receive child support payments from their exes. However, most judges will take more than just primary custody into account when determining an appropriate payment plan.
Income is typically the main factor that impacts the amount of child support. Since children have the right to benefit from both of their parents’ incomes, a high-earning custodial parent will usually not diminish what another parent must pay. The guidelines will instead focus on the payer’s income, and what he or she can afford.
A child’s needs will also affect the final support amount. Judges will consider child care costs, insurance, housing, school fees and other related expenses. Individuals with similar incomes but different child-related costs might end up paying different amounts of support. A parent’s debt, other child support obligations or additional financial constraints may also affect the final amount.
Child support is sometimes unfairly portrayed as little more than extra cash used to pad the wallets of custodial parents. The reality is that raising children is expensive, and these payments go towards the multitude of costs associated with that. Obtaining a court-ordered child support agreement is essential to ensuring the financial stability of children after a divorce, but navigating Missouri family law courts can be confusing and time consuming. It is important that parents have an experienced counsel on their side to provide vigorous representation for their children’s best interests.
