Jun 26, 2013

Child Support Calculation: The Games People Play

Child Support Mediation, Divorce and Children, Divorce Mediation, Divorce Trends: Children and Divorce

Divorce is such a complicated time of life that I often find people looking for “simple” solutions wherever they can find them. They will Google on-line child support calculators and present the other spouse with their version of the child support amount due. Without the assistance of an attorney-mediator who will do the calculation on a neutral and accurate basis, there is likely to be an unfair calculation.

Here is a list of the “Games” people play most often to make their child support payment more favorable:

1. Using their net income after 401k and other deductions rather than gross income before any deductions are taken

2. Not including bonus earnings in their gross income figures or failing to properly tax adjust bonus income

3. Business owners not “adding back” items they have deducted from their income that are not allowed for the child support calculations

4. Not including proper tax amounts

5. Manipulating overnight stays with the children to get a more favorable child support amount.

6. Not updating child support payments when income has increased or decreased

7. Not properly dividing children’s expenses that are not included in child support.

There is no doubt that any one of these “games” can lead to a substantial financial loss to one party over the many years that child support is payable. It is best to seek out the assistance of a divorce mediator to ensure that fairness prevails over the “games” people play.