Child Support

Child support is the basic financial obligation of one parent to another. Child support is calculated off two main points of consideration: the amount of time that the child spends with each parent, and the income of the parent being considered for support. If all things were equal (if the parents split physical custody and have about the same income level), then child support will likely not be granted. When one parent has physical custody for more than half of the time, the other parent is considered for child support based on their income and the number of days per month that the child is not in their care.

Child support can be highly individualized. A court can allow extenuating circumstances to change how support is calculated, which is called a “departure” from guidelines. This usually occurs in special arrangements where one spouse is already paying support in another way (making monthly utility or mortgage payments, for example).

Calculating child support can be difficult. As such, it is advisable to seek the counsel of a Maryland family law attorney if you are faced with this situation.