If you are preparing to file for a divorce as a parent, you need to understand the various legal hurdles you could encounter, from a child custody dispute to issues related to child support. Whether you anticipate that your child’s other parent will make payments or you expect to have these obligations yourself, you should go over different factors that can affect how much support parents owe.
It is also essential to prepare for child support, whether you need to adjust your finances based on the support you receive or review how paying child support will affect your financial circumstances.
Gross income and child support
According to Tennessee’s Child Support Services Division, the state takes a parent’s gross income into consideration when setting up a child support order that stipulates how much child support the parent has to pay. Gross income includes income from various sources, such as wages, salaries, self-employment earnings, severance pay, interest income, workers’ compensation, unemployment benefits and even lottery winnings.
Other considerations regarding child support
Aside from income, the court goes over other issues when awarding child support. For example, the state reviews the amount of time a child spends with each parent as well as the number of children. If the court deems a parent willfully unemployed or underemployed, this could increase the amount of child support they have to pay.
When it comes to child support, you need to make sure that you provide all of the required information correctly. Whether your child’s other parent misses payments or you struggle to stay current, closely review your options if challenges arise.
