Every parent has a legal and moral obligation to support his or her children. Usually, in a family unit, the two parents share that obligation. At divorce, that obligation continues through Wagoner, Oklahoma child support payments.
A Wagoner court will issue orders regarding custody, support, and visitation of the children as part of the divorce process. Here are some facts that you might want to know.
Oklahoma Child Support Guidelines
Oklahoma uses a codified set of guidelines as a basis for ordering child support. These guideline calculators are available online on a number of sites, including the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. These calculators will provide you with an estimate of what your final Oklahoma child support payment might be. You must include the income and expenses of both parents.
If you and your spouse can agree on the amount of support, you can include that amount in your settlement agreement. The court will review the settlement agreement and will either approve it or ask for changes.
If you and your spouse cannot agree, you can ask the court to calculate that support payment, or you can have your Wagoner child support attorney negotiate that payment amount with your spouse.
Factors Used by Wagoner Courts
The guidelines provide an estimate for the court to review in detail. The court will look at the gross income of both parents.
The judge will also take into account expenses that both parents have such as alimony payments, Oklahoma child support payments for other children, medical insurance costs, medical and dental costs, daycare costs, and other incidental costs associated with raising a child. Such costs might include tutoring, sports programs, and transportation costs associated with visiting the non-custodial parent.
The amount that a court will order may well differ from the calculator amount. The judge has quite a bit of discretion in terms of how much to award.
Once that amount is set, payments will continue until the child is 18, or longer, if the child is a student or in need of additional support. Often child support for a disabled child will continue past age 18.
In addition, the calculators assume that a child lives with the custodial parent only. The calculators do not take into account custody splits or shared custody. The support payment calculation is more complex than the calculators make it appear.
If you are wondering how much a court will award and what factors the court will want to examine, you should consult with an experienced Oklahoma child support attorney as soon as possible. Once ordered, child support payments can only be modified if there is a substantial change in a parent’s circumstances.
Initial Strategy Session: Wagoner Divorce Attorney
When your marriage plans unravel, get the best legal counsel available. Don’t go it alone. Get an experienced, reliable Wagoner divorce attorney on your side.
Contact the Wirth Law Office – Wagoner at 918-485-0335 today to schedule your initial, no-obligation consultation.
