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(801) 254-9450 (801) 254-9450 Utah uses formal guidelines to calculate child support obligations instead of allowing the parents to simply choose an amount. This calculation considers both parents’ incomes, the number of children covered by the order, and the details of the custody arrangement.
Although the guidelines provide a consistent starting point, determining the correct amount can be difficult without the help of an experienced child support attorney. At Carr | Woodall, our team can help you with calculating child support in Midway based on your family’s specific financial circumstances.
The calculation of child support in Midway starts with determining each parent’s gross monthly income. Gross income generally includes income from employment and other sources before taxes and many personal expenses are deducted. Wages and salaries can count toward gross income, but this also includes:
It is important to remember that the court may impute income in certain circumstances if a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed. That means a judge can take into account what a parent should have been earning instead of using their actual income as part of this calculation.
The next step involves identifying deductions state law permits when calculating adjusted gross income for child support purposes. However, a Midway parent cannot subtract every monthly bill or personal expense and expect it to lower child support obligation.
Only specific obligations may reduce the income used in the calculation. Depending on the circumstances, these can include alimony actually paid and child support actually paid for children from another relationship under an existing order. Utah law also provides an adjustment in qualifying circumstances for a parent’s natural or adopted children who live in that parent’s home and are not part of the current child support case.
After determining the parents’ adjusted gross monthly incomes, those amounts are combined. The combined figure is then used with the state’s statutory child support tables to find the base combined child support obligation for the number of children you and your co-parent share.
The guidelines are designed to establish a standardized amount based on the parents’ financial circumstances. The base obligation therefore does not depend solely on the income of the parent who will make the payment. Once the base obligation is established, financial responsibility is generally divided according to each parent’s share of their combined adjusted gross income.
For example, if one parent earns 60 percent of the parents’ combined adjusted income and the other earns 40 percent, those percentages help determine each parent’s portion of the base obligation. The actual payment between parents will also depend on the applicable custody calculation and who holds primary physical custody rights.
Ultimately, the courts are allowed to treat this base child support obligation as a recommendation, not a final order. There are other factors that can lead the court to agree to adjustments as well.
State law separately addresses expenses such as work-related childcare and the cost of providing medical and dental insurance for the children. Parents can also share responsibility for certain uninsured medical expenses. These obligations may be shared between the parents in addition to the base child support amount.
The process of calculating child support in Midway can be challenging, especially on your own. The attorneys at Carr | Woodall can help you understand your base obligation and advocate for you to ensure the court treats you fairly. Contact our firm today for a private consultation. If you cannot make it to our office outside the city, we are happy to meet virtually or come to you to make it more convenient to work with us on your case.