Like every other state, Virginia holds every parent responsible for financially supporting his or her children, and child support is the tool it uses to get the job done. If you are facing a child support concern, turn to the professional legal guidance of an experienced Virginia child support attorney.
The basic factors that go into calculating child support in Virginia under state guidelines include each parent’s income and the number of overnights each parent has with the children. If one parent is the primary custodial parent and the children live the majority of the time with him or her, this parent’s financial obligation will likely be considered met – or nearly met – and the other parent will pay child support to him or her.
If you and your children’s other parent split your time more equally with your children – or the parent with a visitation schedule has the children more than ninety days per year – it can affect the amount of child support the obligor owes. Generally, however, the higher earner will be obligated to pay something in child support to the other parent – because child support is based on each parent’s financial ability to pay (in accordance with the children’s best interests).
If there is an extenuating circumstance that the judge believes warrants deviating from the state’s child support guidelines, it can do so, and the factors it will take into consideration in the process include:
All told, calculating child support can be extremely complicated, but because it is critical to your children’s health and well-being, it should receive the legal attention it deserves.
The resourceful Virginia divorce attorneys at Virginia Family Law Center dedicate their practice to guiding cases like yours toward optimal outcomes, including obtaining divorce terms that support our clients’ parental and financial rights and best interests. For more information about what we can do to also help you, please do not wait to contact us today.
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