Does the amount of time a child spends with each parent affect the amount of child support?

In California, the amount of time a child spends with each parent does affect the amount of child support. The law in California uses the income shares model to calculate child support. This model considers both parents’ incomes, the number of children, and the amount of time each parent spends with the child to determine the amount of child support. When the child spends more time with one parent, the amount of child support that parent pays is usually reduced. This is because the parent spending more time with the child is taking on additional expenses such as food and clothing. For example, if the child spends 80% of their time with one parent, the parent providing 20% of the time is likely going to pay a lower amount of child support. The court will also consider the needs of the child when determining the amount of child support. A parent who spends more time with the child may be responsible for additional expenses such as school costs and extracurricular activities. If this parent is not able to cover the additional costs, the court may require the other parent to provide more child support to make up the difference. In some cases, the court may order a parent to pay more child support if that parent has higher income. The court may also take into account any other factors such as the residence of the child or the amount of time spent in each household. Ultimately, the amount of child support is determined on a case-by-case basis.

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