How is child support calculated?

In Indiana, child support is calculated based on a set of guidelines called the Child Support Guidelines (CSG). In the CSG, the court uses the gross income of both parents, the number of children, the amount of time the parent spends visiting or caring for the children, and the amount of alimony the other parent is paying to calculate a monthly payment amount. The calculations usually start with the gross incomes of both parents. The court will take into account each parent’s income before taxes, insurance, and any deductions. This helps the court look at the potential amount of support each parent can provide. Then the court will take into account the amount of time each parent spends with the children. For instance, if one parent primarily has custody of the children, the court will consider their needs for financial assistance. The court then takes into account any alimony or spousal support that one parent may be paying to the other. This helps the court adjust the amount of child support accordingly. The final step is to assess any overriding considerations that could influence the amount of child support due. These may include: number of children, the cost of health insurance, day care costs, special education expenses, etc. Once all these factors are taken into consideration, the court can then calculate the amount of child support due. The amount is usually a set monthly payment, paid to the custodial parent.

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