When a couple breaks up after having a child, one partner often has to pay the other child support. It’s not always simple to figure out exactly how much, as an experienced child support attorney will tell you.
Let’s answer this question right now!
The Kansas Child Support Payments Guidelines
The Kansas Child Support Guidelines are rules judges and hearing officers follow to decide how much child support each parent is to pay toward raising their children. They guide parents to create a fair and balanced distribution of resources essential to raising children.
The Kansas Child Support Calculator asks questions like:
- How many children are the subject of the pending action?
- How many children are between 0-6?
- How many children are between 7-15?
- What is the Gross Monthly Income of the Non-Custodial Parent?
- What is the amount of monthly child support from a prior marriage by the Non-Custodial Parent?
By answering all of these questions and more, the court will come up with a figure as to which parent owes child support to the other parent, and how much.
Breaking Down What Is Owed
Many variables go into child support obligations, starting with the gross income of both parents.
Parents pay a proportional share of the payment based on their child support income. If one parent earns 60% of the parents’ combined gross income and the other parent earns 40%, then their child support obligation will be shared 60-40.
Is It Always The Father Who Pays Child Support Payment?
No! Many times it is the father who pays child support to the mother, but this has been because historically the man made a higher salary and the woman had more physical custody time with the child or children. In the U.S. including the state of Kansas, there is no gender requirement for child support.
In a large number of cases, the child or children live more time with one parent over the other. The parent that does not hold the child’s primary residence will more than likely be responsible to pay child support. The courts describe that relationship as the non-custodial parent or guardian.
The court will always make decisions in the child’s best interest, not based on if you are a man or woman. Gender does not matter in determining who is the custodial parent.
It’s also worth noting that relationships and marriages are no longer just between a man and a woman. In the instance of two women involved in a same-sex marriage with adopted children or children born in vitro, a woman would pay child support.
What If Child Support Isn’t Paid?
Child Support Payments isn’t an option. Once the thirty calendar days have passed and they are one full month delinquent, Child Support Services may take enforcement actions against the parent not paying. The unpaid amount of child support becomes an arrearage. Among the penalties possible are a jail sentence, especially if the amount owed to the custodial parent increases.
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