Calculating Child Support for Families with Multiple Children

Child support is a significant concern when addressing the wellbeing of children after a divorce or separation. To calculate child support amounts, in most cases family courts use a formula called the Child Support Guidelines that considers factors such as the number and ages of the children, each parent’s income, how many overnight visitations each parent has per year, work-related childcare costs, cost of health insurance for the children, mandatory union dues and pension contributions, and tax filing status.

In certain special cases, such as when the parents have a high combined net income, the court takes a more nuanced approach that analyzes multiple factors, including the number of children, their ages, the needs of the children, the income of the parents, the lifestyle of the children, and the standard or the cost of living in the area where the children reside. In New Jersey, no matter the approach, calculating child support for families with multiple children becomes more complicated.

Child Support for Families with Multiple Children

The family court considers many factors when making decisions for families with multiple children. The non-custodial parent will typically pay child support to the custodial parent. According to a Census Bureau Reports study in 2016, the average child support payment across all divorcees in the country was $430 a month, which is around 25% of an average paying parent’s monthly income for a single child. Importantly, this is an average, and in no way a benchmark for how much child support someone should pay.

Additional children will increase the child support payment amount. The State uses many factors to determine the right amount of child support. Some of these factors are:

• Whether one parent has primary custody of the children
• The amount of time each parent spends with each child
• Each parent’s gross income, which includes wages, bonuses and royalties, unemployment benefits, and more
• Whether any of the children have special educational or health-related needs that may lead to additional caretaking costs

A family law attorney can offer advice about creating a child support arrangement that accounts for each child’s individual needs.

Work with a New Jersey Child Support Attorney at Moskowitz Law Group

Moskowitz Law Group, LLC is a trusted law firm that has been managing family law cases for more than 50 years collectively between all our attorneys. If you need assistance calculating a fair child support amount, you can turn to us for the insight and knowledge you need to secure an enforceable agreement quickly and correctly.

Your and your child’s best interests are our priorities. Call or submit an online contact form to schedule your consultation with a member of our team.