What is Child Support?
Child support is a court-ordered payment made by one parent to the other for the financial support of their shared child or children. The purpose of child support is to ensure that the child has the resources needed for their physical, emotional, and educational needs.
Child support typically includes payments for basic necessities such as food, clothing, and housing, as well as other expenses such as health care, education, and extracurricular activities. The amount of child support is determined by the court and is based on a variety of factors, including the income of both parents, the number of children, and the needs of the child.
Child support orders are legally binding and enforceable by the court. If a parent fails to make the required child support payments, they may face legal consequences, including wage garnishment, seizure of assets, or even imprisonment.
It is important for both parents to fulfill their financial obligations for the support of their child, as the well-being of the child is the primary concern in child support cases.
How is Child Support Calculated?
In Oklahoma, child support is calculated using a set of guidelines established by the state. The guidelines take into account the income of both parents, the number of children, and other factors to determine the amount of child support that should be paid.
The formula used to calculate child support in Oklahoma considers the following factors:
The final child support amount is determined by using the Oklahoma Child Support Guidelines, which are based on the combined net monthly income of the parents and the number of children. The guidelines provide a recommended range for the amount of child support, and the court has the discretion to deviate from this range based on the specific circumstances of the case.
Who pays Child Support?
The noncustodial parent is designated the child-support obligor, and the custodial parent is the obligee. The amount of child support to be paid by an obligor to an obligee is calculated by determining the obligor's percentage of the combined adjusted gross monthly income of both parents, and multiplying that percentage by the statutory amount of support deemed appropriate for raising the number of children involved by parents in the same income bracket.
If one parent does not have any income, the Court can impute income of that parent as having a minimum wage for a 40 hour week or by comparing what the parent could make based on other people with comparable education and training. The guideline formula allows many factors to be taken into account directly and expressly permits the judge to consider other factors in deviating from the guideline amount.
The noncustodial parent is designated the child-support obligor, and the custodial parent is the obligee. The amount of child support to be paid by an obligor to an obligee is calculated by determining the obligor's percentage of the combined adjusted gross monthly income of both parents, and multiplying that percentage by the statutory amount of support deemed appropriate for raising the number of children involved by parents in the same income bracket.
Deviating from the Guidelines
The Court may allow the parties do deviate from the Child Support Guidelines if:
Child Support Termination
Child support usually terminates when the child reaches 18 years of age. If, however, the child is regularly and continuously attending high school, the duty to pay child support continues through age 20 or until the child graduates high school, whichever occurs first.
Child support is a court-ordered payment made by one parent to the other for the financial support of their shared child or children. The purpose of child support is to ensure that the child has the resources needed for their physical, emotional, and educational needs.
Child support typically includes payments for basic necessities such as food, clothing, and housing, as well as other expenses such as health care, education, and extracurricular activities. The amount of child support is determined by the court and is based on a variety of factors, including the income of both parents, the number of children, and the needs of the child.
Child support orders are legally binding and enforceable by the court. If a parent fails to make the required child support payments, they may face legal consequences, including wage garnishment, seizure of assets, or even imprisonment.
It is important for both parents to fulfill their financial obligations for the support of their child, as the well-being of the child is the primary concern in child support cases.
How is Child Support Calculated?
In Oklahoma, child support is calculated using a set of guidelines established by the state. The guidelines take into account the income of both parents, the number of children, and other factors to determine the amount of child support that should be paid.
The formula used to calculate child support in Oklahoma considers the following factors:
- Combined monthly net income of both parents: This includes all sources of income, such as wages, salaries, self-employment income, and other benefits.
- Number of children: The formula takes into account the number of children for whom support is being calculated.
- Child care expenses: If either parent pays for child care expenses, this will be taken into account when calculating child support.
- Health insurance costs: The cost of providing health insurance for the child will be taken into account when calculating child support.
- Other factors: The court may consider other relevant factors, such as the needs of the child, the standard of living of the child, and the ability of the parents to pay.
The final child support amount is determined by using the Oklahoma Child Support Guidelines, which are based on the combined net monthly income of the parents and the number of children. The guidelines provide a recommended range for the amount of child support, and the court has the discretion to deviate from this range based on the specific circumstances of the case.
Who pays Child Support?
The noncustodial parent is designated the child-support obligor, and the custodial parent is the obligee. The amount of child support to be paid by an obligor to an obligee is calculated by determining the obligor's percentage of the combined adjusted gross monthly income of both parents, and multiplying that percentage by the statutory amount of support deemed appropriate for raising the number of children involved by parents in the same income bracket.
If one parent does not have any income, the Court can impute income of that parent as having a minimum wage for a 40 hour week or by comparing what the parent could make based on other people with comparable education and training. The guideline formula allows many factors to be taken into account directly and expressly permits the judge to consider other factors in deviating from the guideline amount.
The noncustodial parent is designated the child-support obligor, and the custodial parent is the obligee. The amount of child support to be paid by an obligor to an obligee is calculated by determining the obligor's percentage of the combined adjusted gross monthly income of both parents, and multiplying that percentage by the statutory amount of support deemed appropriate for raising the number of children involved by parents in the same income bracket.
Deviating from the Guidelines
The Court may allow the parties do deviate from the Child Support Guidelines if:
- Both parties are represented by counsel and agree to calculate child support differently;
- One party is represented by counsel and the deviation benefits the unrepresented party; or
- The judge makes specific findings of fact supporting that the guideline amount is unjust or an appropriate under the circumstances.
Child Support Termination
Child support usually terminates when the child reaches 18 years of age. If, however, the child is regularly and continuously attending high school, the duty to pay child support continues through age 20 or until the child graduates high school, whichever occurs first.