This includes wages, hourly wages, rental income, investments, and any other form of income. Pennsylvania child support laws assume that the custodial parent already spends money directly on the child. A parent who is struggling to pay but can't make ends meet may be responsible for late payments, but must also request a change in the child support order. Therefore, the first step in calculating child support is to subtract that amount from the debtor's income and add it to the creditor's income.
Because the father's share of the monthly net income is 60%, the father pays 60% of the monthly child support amount. While these factors may support an adjustment above or below the payment amount, there are other expenses that affect support payments. When parents go to court to request the child support order, net income is determined and support is calculated using a formula that uses the table of state support guidelines that determines the presumed correct amount. These additional expenses will be above the basic child support number, the parties will divide them in proportion to their relative income.
The parent can quit his job or take a job that earns less money to reduce the child support order. In Pennsylvania, both parents must provide financial support to their children at least until the children turn 18 or become emancipated, which means they can support themselves. There is a strong, but refutable, presumption that the amounts listed in child support guidelines are appropriate. The amounts listed in the child support guidelines take into account the child's reasonable needs and the parents' income.
By charging income equal to the earning capacity of the paying parent, the court can ensure that children receive appropriate and fair support from the child support order. For more information on how to request, pay and enforce child support in Pennsylvania, see the Pennsylvania Child Support Manual. Parents going through a separation or divorce often want to know how to pay or receive child support. To start with, I want to go over a few things to keep in mind early on when thinking about how child support is calculated in Pennsylvania.
