{"id":351690,"date":"2016-04-04T11:02:29","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T16:02:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/family\/child-support\/child-support-guidelines.html"},"modified":"2024-03-14T11:16:00","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T16:16:00","slug":"child-support-guidelines","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/family\/child-support\/child-support-guidelines.html","title":{"rendered":"Child Support Guidelines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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What Are Child Support Guidelines?<\/h1>\n
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\n By Danielle Gilmore, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Melissa Bender, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n

Each state has child support guidelines to help courts calculate child support.  These guidelines help ensure that the child’s basic needs will be met. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Child support guidelines have changed dramatically. The process has become more transparent, with strict enforcement guidelines in most states. <\/p>\r\n

But that wasn’t always the case. In fact, most states gave judges complete control over child support<\/a> orders before these standard guidelines. An estimated 30% of custodial parents had no child support at all<\/a> as recently as 2017. This was the same in 1984 before the government enacted federal guidelines.<\/p>\r\n

This article explores how child support guidelines have evolved and the main models states use to calculate amounts. Understanding these guidelines can help you know what to expect from courts. <\/p>\r\n

Child Support Guidelines Affect Payment Amounts <\/h2>\r\n

The state sets up child support guidelines. These guidelines affect the amount of child support that courts give to parents. What a parent must pay to meet their child support obligation to their minor children varies.<\/p>\r\n

The goal is that the amount is enough to take care of basic needs. This includes food, clothes, housing, and other needs like medical expenses and childcare expenses.<\/p>\r\n

Why Lack of Child Support Guidelines Was a Big Problem<\/h2>\r\n

The amount of child support awarded<\/a> in the court order was completely within the discretion of the judge. The judge based the award on the ability of the obligor (parent without physical custody) to pay the basic child support obligation.<\/p>\r\n

This obligation was based on the number of children and each child’s needs under the best interest of the child standard. These are still important considerations today. <\/p>\r\n

Yet, these awards were subject to five major problems without consistent guidelines, including:<\/p>\r\n