Forgive me if this topic has been talked about I haven't checked this board before. With reading the CS thread I was just wondering how much child support is and how it's determined. I would assume it varies by state. But is it a percentage of income per child or how is it calculated? Thanks for appeasing my curiosity!

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A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.-Eleanor Roosevelt

When I worked for divorce attorneys there was a computer program that calculated the support. We needed to enter mother & father's income, # of children, if heathcare was an expense, that's all I can remember off the top of my head. This was in Ohio

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Amanda
Mommy to Zack & Emily

this is true. it varies by state, and it all depends on the mother's income, the father's income, daycare expenses, health care expenses, etc.

there are several sites for each state to help you in figuring this out. Please let me know, and I will post links if need be.

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I've grown certain that the root of all fear is that we've been forced to deny who we are. ~ Frances Moore Lappe

here we pay 25% for 1, 33% for 2 and 40% for 3. No wonder people don't pay when it gets to be that much. My friend's DH pays 1300 for 2 kids (plus insurance and half of dr visits, daycare, drives both ways to pick them up in which is 2 hrs each way). It can get redicilious. Personally when we get dsd I only want her to do transportation (15-20 minutes depending on traffic) and copays (10-50 depending on whats needed except for glasses in which I think 50-50 is fair) We will pay for every thing else including private schooling because she's been there so long and uniforms (2000 each yr.)

oh no, you don't have to go to that much work for me! I can google it!

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A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.-Eleanor Roosevelt

When I was growing up my dad paid my mom $200, but there were several years they were fighting over visitation(she didn't want me to see him) and he stopped paying ended up owing her around $10,000 so he bought my first car and she called it even. Then he paid my insurance and no longer paid CS. It worked out well for me!

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A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.-Eleanor Roosevelt

The best answer is "it varies by State"...each State has their own guidelines with this basic Premise:

In general, the combined gross income from both parents provides a base. Child support payments are determined by appropriating respective percentages to each parent. The gross income includes all sources. Overtime and second jobs might not be exempt. Circumstances adjusting gross income are generally necessary expenses already paid, or costs incurred, that benefit the children such as health insurance and day care or special needs care.

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"When it comes down to it, I let them think what they want. If they care enough to bother with what I do, then I'm already better than them."~ Marilyn Monroe