There are a number of factors that courts will look at when determining the kind of child support arrangement you will have after your divorce. The federal government mandates that states use certain guidelines when coming to these arrangements, though some of the details are left up to each state. 

The following are some of the factors that might impact your case in Maryland: 

  • Income. The income of both parents will play a role. The percentage of the combined income that each parent is responsible for will determine the amount of support they have to pay, with the person who makes more likely having to pay more in support.
  • Childcare expenses. States generally consider how much parents will need to spend on childcare to be able to work themselves.
  • Deductions. Parents that are already paying child support from a previous partner may be allowed to deduct the amount they are paying from their income. However, the support payments must be mandated by a court, and the parent must actually be making those payments for a court to consider these deductions. Parents may not make deductions from their income should they need to support a subsequent child or spouse.
  • Healthcare expenses. The child support order will specify who is responsible for paying health insurance for the child. The amount of money that will need to be spend on health insurance gets included in the order, and then credited to whichever parent will be paying for it. The child support order will also take unusual medical expenses into consideration.
  • Other. Other expenses, such as cost of visitation, special educational needs and more could play a role in the amount of child support each party must pay.

 

For more information on the amount of child support for which you may be responsible, speak with an experienced southern Maryland divorce attorney at Mudd, Mudd & Fitzgerald, P.A.