Child Support is Not Gender Specific
Just like there are times men must pay child support, there are times that women pay child support, as well. Child support payments are based not on gender but on relative income and how much time the parent spends with the child. The amount of time spent with the child is based on whether the parents have joint custody or whether one parent is the custodial parent and the other parent has visitation rights.
A family law attorney from Wirth Law Office – Wagoner can help you understand your specific circumstances and how they could affect child support.
Oklahoma Child Support Guidelines
Child support calculations in Oklahoma are made according to guidelines. These guidelines take the adjusted gross income of both parents and add it together to determine the family income. Then certain expenses are subtracted, and the number of children that will have to be provided for is considered. There are other factors that a court may consider in determining who pays child support, such as other support payments and other special needs of the parents or their children.
Sometimes, medical insurance and child care expenses are paid by one parent or the other. Those expenses are considered, and if one parent pays proportionally more of them, that is also considered in the calculation.
Then the court looks at how much time the child spends with each parent. When the parents have shared or joint custody, the amount of child support will usually be reduced since it is assumed that the parent is spending money on the child during the time the child is living with the parent.
How Custody Affects Support Amounts
Let’s say that the father has primary custody. He is the custodial parent, and the mother has visitation, such that the time spent is about a 70/30 split between the parents. Let’s say that the father and mother make approximately the same amount of income.
Oklahoma looks to the total number of overnights that a child spends with a parent in terms of deciding child support. Because the child is with the father most of the time, he is likely spending more on the child. As such, the mother would owe child support.
The other way that a mother might end up paying more in child support is if she makes more money than the father. Let’s assume the parents share custody of the child with about a 55/45 split. The child spends more time with the mother but not substantially so.
In this scenario, the mother makes twice as much money as the father. The mother may end up owing child support to the father because of the income differential combined with the amount of time the father spends with the child. Women can and do pay child support.
Child support can be a complicated issue with numerous factors that a court may consider. It is also an obligation that will be with you until a child is at least 18 years old. Bring your questions and concerns to an experienced Wagoner child support attorney today.
Initial Strategy Session with a Wagoner Child Support Attorney
Wirth Law Office – Wagoner offers its clients the best possible child support representation in the Wagoner, Oklahoma area at reasonable rates.
If you or someone you know is involved in a child support case in the Wagoner, Oklahoma area, we invite you to schedule a initial consultation to discuss what we can do for you. Contact Wirth Law Office – Wagoner at (918) 485-0335 to schedule your low-cost strategy session. You can also fill out the form at the top of the page.
