CHILD SUPPORT

In Kentucky, one of the most frequently asked questions in any divorce or custody proceeding stems from child support calculations. Although many attorneys will tell you that the numbers will be what the Kentucky child support calculator sets forth, this is oftentimes not the case.

In Kentucky, the courts look at both parties’ combined incomes, coupled with the number of children between the parties, to set a base monthly child support. However, that is a very oversimplified breakdown of how child support is calculated.

Child support calculations need the following questions answered before an accurate determination can be made:

1. Which party will receive child support?
2. Which income counts and does not count toward child support? What if your employer recently cut your overtime hours, or the other party is not fully reporting his or her income due to tips paid during his or her shift?
3. Does the breakdown in parenting time between the parties allow for the court to deviate from child support?
4. Are there any child support arrearages?
5. Which parent is paying for the health insurance, and what is that cost for the child or children?
6. Are the children in daycare or after-school care, and are those costs reasonable and necessary?

Since child support is not just a simple calculation, and many of the above and other factors can vary child support by hundreds of dollars each month, it is critical you seek an attorney experienced in these calculations to make sure that the child support is accurately and fairly calculated. Contact us today to assist you in ensuring that your child support is set accurately and fairly.