In the case of divorced couples with minor children, the amount of child support in the divorce is often an issue. In Arizona, child support can be estimated using the Arizona Child Support guidelines. The courts provide a free calculator that can be used to determine how high the maintenance obligations of a divorcing parent could be. They take into account time spent with each parent, income of both parents, ages of the children, medical, child care, and educational expenses. The calculator is an estimate of child support and the amount ordered by the court may differ from the estimated amount. Once the court orders child support, it becomes a financial liability that – and often – is deducted from the parents’ paycheck and transferred directly to the Child Support Clearinghouse. ARS §23-722.01 (d) requires Arizona employers to report all new hires within 20 days of the hiring date. DES uses the computer system for child benefit to match information about new attitudes with pending child benefit cases. Even if there is an oral or written agreement between the parents to change the amount of child support, the employer will deduct the child support in the court order.
As with many divorced couples, circumstances change. The time children spend with one parent can increase or decrease, or the level of a parent’s income can change significantly. Although the parents can get a new maintenance contract, we would not recommend doing so. Instead, they will have to go back to court and request a change in child support, even if it is the changed amount that they both have already agreed to. Going to family court again for minor adjustments to child support is not in the best interests of either party. The circumstances must be clearly different. If a spouse remarries, the income of the new spouse is equal to Not taken into account when calculating a change in child support.
Spousal support, often referred to as support, can be a very controversial issue in the event of a divorce. The general purpose of spousal support is threefold:
-
Compensation for unjust economic circumstances upon termination of a marriage
-
Provide income so that a spouse can get an education or other earning potential
-
Give the spouse the standard of living they enjoyed during the marriage
There is a misunderstanding that spousal support is determined by a formula. It is not determined solely by the length of the marriage, the different income levels, the lifestyle or the level of education. While these are factors, they are not the only factors to be considered. While many couples negotiate and agree on both the amount and duration of spousal support, others leave the decision to the family courts. The court takes the amount of child support into account when determining the spousal support – and the spousal support is a data point that is used in the support calculator. The more spousal support a party receives, the less support it receives. If the income is insufficient to support both spouses, no spousal maintenance may be ordered.
PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED on ABC15 SonoraLiving.com
Comments are closed.