Does Custodial Time Impact Child Support?

In your and your former spouse’s divorce proceedings, your child custody and child support arrangements inevitably and undoubtedly go hand-in-hand. That is, the rights you are granted for custody may influence the amount you are obligated to pay or receive in financial support, and vice versa. Continue reading to learn how custodial time might impact child support amounts and how one of the experienced Somerset County child support lawyers at the Law Offices of Kisha M. Hebbon, LLC can help you set reasonable expectations.

How does custodial time impact child support amounts?

Typically, the parent granted less custodial rights may be expected to make support payments to the other parent. That said, the less time the parent spends with the child, the more they may be expected to contribute to child support. This is because the parent with primary custody may take the brunt of the child’s expenses, such as the cost of feeding, clothing, and housing, just to name a few.

Of note, the New Jersey family court may calculate the amount of custodial time each parent has with the child by the number of overnight visits. These overnight visits are then expressed as a percentage of how much of the year the child spends with each parent. Therefore, the parent given a small percentage (i.e., less than 50 percent) may be subsequently assigned as the child support payer.

What other factors impact child support amounts?

You may wonder how child support is determined if you and your child’s other parent agree on a joint custody arrangement. Meaning, your child spends equal parts of their time between you two. Well, in this case, other considerable factors the New Jersey family court may calculate are each parent’s adjusted gross net income and their ability to earn. With this, the parent who earns more or has the ability to earn more may make child support payments to the other parent.

Without further ado, below are other factors that may impact child support amounts:

• Your child’s extracurricular activity expenses.
• Your child’s health insurance coverage and educational expenses.
• Your child’s special needs for education or healthcare, if applicable.
• Your child’s age and the relevant costs for raising them based on their age.
• Your child’s daycare or aftercare expenses necessary due to your work schedule.
• Your child’s transportation expenses to school, doctor’s appointments, extracurriculars, etc.
• Your child’s siblings and step-siblings and the support obligations designated towards them.

We hope this blog gave you greater insight into what to expect with your child support order. It is likely that you still have lingering questions occupying your mind. So please book your appointment with one of the skilled Somerset County family lawyers today. We look forward to helping you.