How is child support determined and paid?

In Alaska, the parent responsible for paying child support is determined by the court. This is typically the non-custodial parent who does not have primary physical custody of the child. Generally, the parent receiving child support, the custodial parent, will submit a court form called an Income Withholding Order (IWO) to their local child support office. The IWO will be used to calculate the amount of child support, which is based on the income of both parents, among other factors. According to Alaska law, the amount of child support should be a proportion of the incomes of both parents and should be just enough to cover the basic needs of the child. The court order will state when and how the payments should be made. Generally, the non-custodial parent will make payments directly to the custodial parent, but the court may also order payments to be made directly to the Alaska Child Support Services Division (CSSD). Additionally, the court may garnish wages of the non-custodial parent in order to ensure timely payments. If the non-custodial parent fails to make payments, the custodial parent may contact the CSSD to pursue child support enforcement. Furthermore, the court may order the non-custodial parent to pay penalties for late payments, which will be determined by the court. Ultimately, both parents are required to abide by the court’s order to ensure proper payments are made for the benefit of the child.

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