Divorce Guide

Divorce Guide


Establishing and calculating child support


Divorce is a bundle of sorrows. It not only disturbs emotionally but also brings along a number of complications and legalities. If you are a couple with children and want to divorce then the most complicated task can be of establishing and calculating Child Support.

Once the decision of Child Custody has been taken the most important step is to sort out the Child Support issues. This is crucial because the whole future of your child is based on how well you secure him financially.

It is not possible for a single parent to take the best care of the child. Single income is not sufficient to fulfill all the financial needs of children. In such circumstances Child Support is integral to the best interest of the child.

What is Child Support?

For those who do not have much idea as to what Child Support is, here is a simple explanation. Child Support, also known as Child Maintenance is a fixed amount paid by the non custodial parent on a regular basis. The purpose of Child Support is to ensure that both the parents contribute equally to the financial needs of the child even after divorce.

Family Law gives lot of weight to Child Support because it is in the best interest of the child.

Establishing Child Support

The Family Court says that all the non custodial parents are bound to pay Child Maintenance. There can be an exception in few cases if the parent is bankrupt or financially very weak. Court is the ultimate authority to decide whether the parent should be exempted from Child Support or not.

If a couple is unmarried and decides to separate then also the father has to pay the Child Maintenance. In case the mother keeps the custody of the child she can ask the father for Child Maintenance. The only thing that needs to be done here is establish the paternity. If the father denies his paternity in order to avoid paying Child Support then the court can order a DNA test to know the truth.

Calculating Child Support

There is a fixed formula to calculate the Child Support. Couples can seek help of the CSA (Child Support Agency), in order to calculate the right amount of maintenance that needs to be paid. CSA is a Government agency that helps in enforcing Child Support issues in UK.

While calculating Child Support a number of factors are taken into consideration:

  1. Salary of the parents
  2. Cost of living
  3. Day to day needs of the child
  4. Childcare costs involving education, medical, extracurricular activities, and so on.

Calculating Child Support has important financial implications for all the three parties – custodial parent, non custodial parent, and the child. It is better to take professional help in child support issues who can help all three parties benefit financially. The couples must not forget the issue of tax calculation while determining Child Support.

Establishing and calculating child support is not a difficult task. With professional help the couples can accomplish the task successfully.


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