Divorcing couples who have children to consider are likely to have questions about how much each parent has to provide in monetary support for them every month. State laws do require both parents to provide financially for their children, so how does the state decide how much each parent is required to pay and which parent has to make the payment — particularly in shared custody cases? Here are some answers to the common questions asked about child support in Georgia.
Question number one: Who has to pay? Generally, the non-custodial parent has to pay. Now, a couple can share custody of their children, but one parent is still generally considered the primary custody holder. The parent who is not deemed primary custody holder is the one who will likely have to pay child support.
Question number two: How much needs to be paid monthly? This is different in every case. The court looks at a number of factors before deciding how much support a child needs. A few of these factors include parental income, parenting time, child needs, child care needs and marital standard of living — among various others.
Question number three: How long does the paying parent have to pay child support? Generally, child support is paid until the child reaches the age of 18. It may be extended if there is a need to do so. It may also be canceled early is the child dies, emancipates, joins the military or marries.
Those in Georgia who want to know exactly what they may be looking at in terms of child support would need to talk to legal counsel about the matter. An experienced family law attorney would have the ability to calculate a projected support amount based on all the information at which the court would look. Of course, the number could go up or down, depending on what each spouse is requesting be included or excluded from the support order.