Practice Areas
Child Support
Navigating Child Support in North Carolina: Ensuring Financial Stability for Your Child
Child support is a crucial aspect of providing for your child’s well-being. In North Carolina, there are statewide presumptive Guidelines that determine child support amounts based on various factors. We are here to help you navigate these guidelines and ensure your child receives the financial support they deserve.
Child support considers factors like gross income, parenting schedule, and healthcare costs.
Factors Considered in Child Support Calculation
The child support calculation considers essential factors such as the number of children, the gross income of each parent, the parenting schedule, health insurance premiums, pre-existing child support obligations, and work-related childcare costs. Our experienced team will guide you through this process, ensuring accurate calculations that meet your child’s needs.
Expert Guidance on Guidelines Worksheets
Calculating child support in North Carolina involves using specific worksheets. These worksheets, labeled A, B, and C, help determine the appropriate child support amount based on different parenting arrangements.
The Guidelines provide presumed appropriate amounts, but deviations can be requested if the amount would not meet or exceed the child’s reasonable needs.
If one parent has primary physical custody, meaning the children spend 243 nights or more with that parent throughout the year, Worksheet A is used. This worksheet considers factors such as each parent’s gross income, the number of children, and other relevant expenses to calculate the child support amount.
When parents share physical custody of the children, and each parent cares for the children for at least 123 nights during the year, Worksheet B comes into play. This worksheet assumes that each parent is responsible for providing the children’s expenses during the time they reside with that parent. Our experts will assist you in accurately completing Worksheet B, taking into account the financial responsibilities shared by both parents, to determine the appropriate child support amount.
In cases of split custody, where one parent has primary custody of at least one child while the other parent has primary custody of the remaining child or children, Worksheet C is utilized. This situation is relatively uncommon.
The amounts calculated using the Guidelines are presumed to be appropriate. However, in some circumstances, a parent can ask the court to deviate from the Guidelines. For example, the court may deviate if it finds that the Guidelines amount would not meet, or would exceed, the reasonable needs of the child.
Modification and Termination of Child Support
Child support orders can be modified if there is a substantial change in circumstances, such as a job loss or changes in the parenting schedule. Child support obligations generally terminate when a child turns 18 or graduates from high school. We provide guidance on seeking modifications and navigating the termination process to ensure compliance with legal requirements.
