Every year the child custody lawyers at Clagett Law Attorneys at Law oversee many child support cases in Elizabethtown. Whether co-parents are going through a divorce, or a custodial parent is seeking support from another legal guardian, Clagett Law have seen it all.
When our child custody lawyers sit down with their Elizabethtown clients, one of the most frequently asked questions they hear is, “How is child support calculated?” This can be a tricky question, as there are several factors that go into determining the appropriate amount of support that should be required from the non-custodial parent.
Because child custody lawyers Clagett Law want their potential clients to be well prepared before they dive headfirst into seeking child support from their ex, we will use this blog to talk a bit more about how the state of Kentucky decides what a custodial parent is owed in child support.
How Child Support Is Calculated for Elizabethtown Divorcees
While some states use a set fee to determine child support, Kentucky operates on a different system. Instead, child support is calculated on a sliding scale that varies depending on how much each parent makes. Because the process can be very complex, Elizabethtown divorcees should speak with a child custody lawyer in order to know exactly how much they will be expected to pay. During your discussions with the lawyers at Clagett Law, they will discuss the Kentucky Child Support Worksheet and walk you through how it should be filled out to help a local judge make a decision.
This worksheet will ask several key questions regarding the finances of each divorcee, including:
- Monthly gross income and adjusted monthly income for each parent
- Maintenance payments made to the other parent
- Child support payments to prior-born children
- Base monthly support for each parent
- Child-care costs
- Children’s health insurance premium
Only after your child custody lawyers calculate these figures will they, and you, know what you can be expected to pay in child support.
Understanding Gross Income and Imputed Income
There are two types of income considered when discussing child support obligations – gross income and imputed income.
Gross income is defined as all income from any source. This number is one of the most important figures used to determine how much a parent should be responsible for when paying child support. Gross income includes both earned and unearned income. That means that if a parent has stock or receives interest income every year, this will also be included in their final gross income number. Many Elizabethtown men and women may not know how to calculate the different forms of gross income, which is why it is so important to seek the help of experienced child custody lawyers like Clagett Law.
Imputed income is different from gross income in that it is intended for parents who don’t have a consistent or reliable source of verifiable income. Most parents in this situation are voluntarily unemployed or underemployed. Because there is no true income from these parents, the court will automatically assign them with an income amount. Because imputed income can be a very tricky topic, it’s important to have help from a child custody lawyer during your child support negotiations
Clagett Law Attorneys at Law Are on Your Side
In order to be successful in your child support case, whether you want to merely understand how the court calculates child support, or you want to reduce your gross income or dispute your imputed income, only an experienced child custody lawyer can help.
Call the law offices of Clagett Law today at (270) 900-0533 to learn more and schedule your first appointment.
