Child support is designed to help parents share the responsibility of financially supporting their children, allowing the kids to maintain a lifestyle to which they are accustomed. California parents who are going through a divorce may be interested in knowing some of the facts about child support.
In most cases, the laws that relate to child support are quite fluid. The courts have guidelines that they follow, but they can often deviate from these depending on the circumstances of both parents. In some cases, a court may decide that parents can agree upon child support arrangements. Some of the things the courts will consider when determining who will make child support payments and how much those payments will be include who spends the most time with the children; who is responsible for things like child care, school supplies, and health insurance; as well as the income of both parents.
When it comes to taxes and child support, people should be aware that only one parent is able to claim the kids as his or her dependents. Money that a person pays to an ex-spouse is not tax deductible. Payments that are received for child support are not taxed.
At times, spousal support may also be assigned by the court. When changes take place with child support, these will often affect spousal support. For example, if the child support payments are lowered because of a change in circumstances, the spousal support payments are also likely to go down as well.
Some individuals are not able to come to an agreement regarding child support and child custody. A person may decide to speak with a family law attorney in order to get advice on child support, family law, custody modification and other issues that arise during divorce and child custody cases. A lawyer may even represent his or her client in court.
