Tag: Child Support Guideline Statute

Two wrongs do not make a right.

Together, as a family, both parents provide financially and emotionally for their children. So why is it that once separated, some parents fail to continue their financial and emotional support for their children? Regardless of emotions, both parents have a duty to continue to support their children.  This is ordinarily enforced through an award of child support from one parent to the other. To obtain this award amount, the Court follows the Child Support Guideline Statute. The parties’ gross earnings, specific deductions, including child care expenses and children’s health insurance premiums, and the number of overnights are utilized in the guidelines to calculate the award amount. When it is reasonably available, required payment of health insurance premiums and the cost of uncovered medical, dental and prescriptions are also allocated. Usually, the support amount is then deducted from the paying parent’s paycheck and sent directly to the state’s central depository. The central depository keeps track of all payments made, and not made, and forwards the funds to the receiving parent. Should the paying parent fail to pay their child support obligation once it has been ordered, the receiving parent may request the Court enforce the order by contempt and willful failure to pay, possibly resulting in a person being jailed. As such, it is unlawful to deny a parent time-sharing with the children because of that parent’s failure to pay child support. It is equally unlawful to refuse to pay child support because the other parent is denying access to the children. “Two wrongs do not make a right.”