What To Know About Different Types Of Child Support
Are you getting a divorce and know that you'll need to pay child support? If so, it's important to know about the different types of child support that you could have to pay.
Current Support
It is very common for one parent to be ordered to pay current child support once the case is settled in court. This is calculated by using the paying parent's net income, which is what they make after deducting taxes, health insurance, union dues, and things of that nature. The goal is to provide a pair percentage of your income as child support and not leave you without any savings at the end of the month.
Medical Support
If you have a special needs child that has additional medical needs, it is likely that you'll be ordered to pay medical child support payments. This can be done in several ways and is separate from your current support payments. For example, you may be asked to make a large lump sum to cover medical costs or periodic payments for ongoing care. There are restrictions on what percentage of your income can go towards medical support, so make sure you are familiar with what your state guidelines are.
What makes medical child support payments unique is that they will go away if the need is no longer there and it won't impact your current child support payment. That's why the two are separated. For example, if a child was involved in an accident and had a lot of large medical bills, a lump payment may be required to help pay for everything.
Retroactive Support
You may be required to pay retroactive support, which can go back to when a couple started a separation and the divorce paperwork was filed. This can help cover the costs that one parent had to pay while the other parent was no longer around to provide support. The amount can be based on what the current child support payments will be and calculated for the number of months that the other parent did not receive any support payments.
Temporary Support
It is possible for a judge to award temporary child support while a divorce case is underway and one parent is not contributing financially to raising the child. This prevents the need for retroactive support, and it will eventually end when the divorce is finalized and current support payments take over.
Reach out to your divorce lawyer to learn more about these types of child support payments.
Share