How Much Child Support Do You Pay for One Child?
By Moskowitz Law Group, LLC |As part of a divorce involving two parents, the court is going to establish child support payments. Due to the court’s own rules that require it to consider the best interests of the child first and foremost, there is really no way to get around child support. The question is therefore not whether someone will have to pay child support, but instead, “How much child support will be paid each month?”
In New Jersey, the parent that makes the majority income will usually have to pay child support to the primary custodial parent. There are always variables that could change this situation, but this is the typical outcome. According to a Census Bureau Reports study in 2016, the average child support payment across all divorcees in the country was $430 a month, but most also capped out or lingered around 25% of the monthly income of the payer, for a single child. More children will increase the child support payment amount but in an inversely exponential amount, which is to say that the amount increases less and less each time a child is added to the agreement.
WHAT CHANGES SPOUSAL SUPPORT AMOUNTS?
Every child support case that reaches the court is unique since a child’s best interests are unique. Assuming that you will pay or receive the average amount might be too large of an assumption. It is better to pay close attention to the details of your own case, especially your finances, and go from there.
Factors that can change spousal support orders include:
- Number of children pending in the order
- Monthly income of each parent
- Amount of child support paid by each parent from other divorces
- Amount of alimony paid by each parent from other divorces
- Monthly cost of family healthcare insurance paid by each parent
Moskowitz Law Group, LLC is a trusted Hackensack divorce law firm that has been managing cases for more than 50 collective years. If you need assistance calculating a fair child support amount to bring to the court, you can turn to us for all the insight and knowledge necessary to get it done quickly, correctly, and fairly. You and your child’s best interests are our priorities. Call 201.419.6223 or email us to begin.
