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Child Support
What is Child Support?
In Arizona, child support is a court-ordered financial obligation that a parent pays to help cover the costs of raising their child. Child support can be court-ordered or agreed upon.
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The purpose of child support is to ensure that children receive the financial resources they need for essentials like housing, food, clothing, education, and healthcare, regardless of whether their parents live together.
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Arizona uses statutory guidelines (The Arizona Child Support Guidelines) to calculate child support based on each parent’s income, number of children, and other factors such as the children's healthcare costs, daycare costs, and parenting time. These guidelines are designed to provide a fair and consistent framework while prioritizing the child’s best interests. Our firm can help parents understand their obligations or rights and assist in establishing, modifying, or enforcing child support orders.
How to Calculate Child Support
Child Support is calculated under the Arizona Child Support Guidlines.
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Here is a link to the guidelines themselves: Arizona Child Support Guidelines
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The calculation however is done on on the "Child Support Calculator," which produces a "Child Support Worksheet." The Superior Court of Maricopa County provides two free versions for parties and attorneys to use when calculating spousal maintenance.
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Here is a link to the free/public child support worksheets: Child Support Calculator
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It can be easiest to download the "Excel Version," then just input the information. Make sure you are using monthly expenses. If a parent is unemployed or underemployed, the worksheet should be completed attributing minimum wage. When calculating child support, both parents are assumed to earn at least minimum wage.
There are rare circumstances in which a deviation from the standard child support award may be appropriate. Schedule a consultation today to find out if this could apply to your situation.
Do you have a Child Support question?
If you want to know whether or not you can receive child support, or will have to pay child support, or if you need to modify an existing order, or are not receiving court-ordered payments, our experienced family law attorneys can help.
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Contact us below or by phone at 602-277-6900 today to put our office to work for your child custody concerns.