Do Joint Custody and Child Support go Hand in Hand?
Child support and custody matters are very different from one another; however, they still go hand in hand with each other. In many cases, one parent is still ordered to pay child support even if they have joint custody with the other parent. The possibility of child support does not go away just because two parents see their child. There are many considerations that go into both custody and child support decisions, and now you can find out more.
Understanding Child Support and Joint Custody
Child support is a lot different from custody. These are payments that are made by a parent to help with their child’s financial needs. Child support payments are usually enforced when a divorce, separation, annulment, and more takes place. Sometimes, these payments are determined by the custody arrangement between parents.
Joint custody is a lot different because it is the way in which parents share custody with one another. In situations or joint custody, two parents could share day-to-day responsibilities of a child as well as the important decision-making. These decisions can be made in regard to education, healthcare, religion, and more. In many cases, two parents can solve these matters outside the courtroom, but in other cases speaking to a judge may be necessary.
How Joint Custody and Child Support Can Work Together
In some situations, if one parent has sole custody of their child, the non-custodial parent will still be ordered to pay child support. However, joint custody works differently. In situations where both parents are seeing their child for certain amounts of time, the finances of both parents will be taken into consideration. The gross annual income will be taken into consideration as well as factors like the number of children in the home, age of the children, basic living expenses, and more.
It can sometimes be difficult to understand some of these concepts, which is why it is important to speak to an experienced family law attorney today. Luckily, we can help you understand how joint custody and child support works. Call us for more information.