Divorces end a marriage between two spouses. They also include major decisions about certain factors, such as the children in the family. For these children, it is important that their best interests are kept in mind when making decisions. For some couples, they can make the decision among themselves. However, other couples are not able to come to a resolution with one another. When they cannot decide through mediation, a judge will then have to decide on the matter.
How is child support decided?
New Jersey child support laws were created to put the needs of the child first. To decide the proper child support that needs to be provided by each parent, New Jersey courts review various factors to decide the best support structure. These factors consist of the financial status of each parent, each party’s work history and each party’s earning capacity. In addition, the income, debt and assets of each parent are considered. This all helps to determine how much each parent can provide for the child. The amount of time the child spends living with each parent is also taken into consideration. These factors take into account how much each parent provides for the child throughout the years and how much they can provide in the future to ensure a stable living situation for the child.
Not only do the courts consider the financial status of each parent, but they must examine the well-being of the child. Since the court needs to decide with the best interests of the child in mind, they consider a variety of factors relating to the child’s overall health. This includes the child’s needs, age, health, education and the cost of providing for the child, including daycare. All of these aspects help to decide how much child support is needed to keep a consistent living for a healthy child or to improve their overall well-being.
When considering the child’s support structure, the court takes into account the parenting time. This may have a huge impact on their decision. For instance, if a child lives with one parent a majority of the time, this can affect the structure they decide for the child support. Also, if the child has special needs, the court may raise the cost of the child support to fit the higher cost of taking care of the child’s everyday needs.
How does shared parenting work?
If parents are able to agree to a shared parenting style, they will need to demonstrate the responsibilities of each parent and that they can cooperate with one another. Shared parenting is when a child spends 2 or more nights a week or 104 nights per year with the non-custodial parent. This can be a difficult process to maintain since former spouses will have to act amicably with one another.
When does child support end?
In New Jersey, there is no approximate age for child support to end. There is an option for one parent to relieve another parent of their duty to fulfill child support in a written agreement. If the child turns 19 and is financially independent, a parent may ask the court to file papers to make the child emancipated, which will then cause the child support to stop.
Ross and Calandrillo, LLC is a full-service divorce, family, and real estate law firm located in Mountainside, New Jersey. For strong legal representation in all of your divorce or family law matters, contact Ross and Calandrillo, LLC to schedule a consultation.
