Reply to Given the number of deadbeat dads, why don't you get wages garnished from the beginning?

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Reply to "Given the number of deadbeat dads, why don't you get wages garnished from the beginning?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]$800/month...what ballpark income would a guy have for that to be the child support. It doesn't sound like it would cover half of childcare/food/clothes/activities/other costs for even a little kid. [/quote]

Child support is based on income of the parents and each parent's portion isn't necessarily HALF. It depends on the breakdown of income. If he makes 55% of their combined income, then he is responsible for 55% of the cost of care. Likewise if he is making only 20%.

$800 a month is significant, when we are considering that it is ONE parent's financial contribution. [/quote]

$800 is nominal, not significant. Typical before and after care in the DC area is close to $600 per month. Add in camp at an average of $300/week, and that comes out to $875/month in ONLY child care costs.

Then add in sports, tutoring, braces, a musical instrument— easily another $500/month.

And we haven’t even started the cost of housing, insurance, clothing.... sorry but $800 is pixie dust.  [/quote]

Child support is to help cover the costs of basics...that doesn't necessarily include extras such as sports, tutoring, musical instruments, etc (those are not required). I am the poster who said that $800 is significant; but regardless of how one feels about the amount, it doesn't change the fact that child support orders are based on the incomes of the parents.

A calculator is used and it does not take into account those 'extras' mentioned earlier. [b]Parents can negotiate the costs of those on their own.[/b]

The calculator (at least for Maryland) doesn't take into account housing, but it does take into account insurance.

[/quote]

Some extras can be negotiated between the parents, others like Childcare and Health Insurance are MANDATORY additions to the amount of child support awarded.[/quote]

It sounds like you are saying that child support is calculated and [i]after that[/i] the costs of childcare and health insurance are added. That is not true for the State of Maryland, where the child support order already takes into account the costs of childcare and health insurance. But don't take my word for it...here is a link to the worksheet:

http://www.dhr.state.md.us/CSOCGuide/App/worksheetA.do[/quote]

You're wrong. Even in MD.

https://www.peoples-law.org/calculating-child-support

The pertinent part, copy and pasted:

1. Figure out each parent's actual income.

2. Figure out each parent's adjusted actual income or imputed income.

3. Add up both parents' adjusted actual incomes or their imputed incomes. The [b]combined amount is plugged into the Guidelines chart to determine the "basic child support obligation."[/b]

4. [b]Factor in some additional expenses[/b], including [b]health insurance costs, daycare costs and extraordinary medical expenses[/b]. This [b]generates the "total child support obligation."[/b]

5. The non-custodial parent is responsible for paying a percentage of the total child support obligation.

The BASE support amount is based on a percentage of income. The TOTAL support amount includes a calculation of what percentage of health insurance, medical costs, and childcare each parent is required to pay.

Some states order the child support percentage to be reimbursed directly by the non-custodial parent (this is what my order requires - it is from a state several hundred miles from here), some include the cost of childcare in the monthly ordered amount. I prefer the way my order handles it, because then we don't have to change the order every time the child care amount changes.[/quote]

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