Do you pay child support with joint custody? You may still have to pay child support even with joint custody. The role of child support is more than just providing clothes and food. It is about ensuring sufficient resources exist in both homes for children. If you would like to assess your current child support situation, a Seattle child support lawyer may be able to help.
You May Still Pay Child Support Even with Joint Custody in Washington
To understand why child support may be owed, even with shared custody, it is essential to grasp its purpose. Child support is meant to divide the financial responsibility of raising a child as evenly as possible. This means getting as close as possible to financially mirroring a two-parent household.
In Washington, this manifests as the parent who spends less residential time with their child, providing child support to the other parent. This explanation may sound straightforward, but it isn’t always simple. Expenses and residential time are often challenged, leading to one party paying more or less than they should.
Working with a Seattle family lawyer can help ensure that child support payments are fair for both parties.
Washington Uses a Child Support Formula to Determine Payments
The state has specific statutory guidelines it uses when determining child support payments, as outlined in the Washington State Child Support Schedule. This formula takes various expenses into account when calculating a fair monthly payment. This may include:
- Each parent’s income
- Number of children
- Basic living expenses
- State guidelines and economic tables
This formula is utilized whether custody is shared 50/50 or not shared at all. Following a standard formula allows less room for bias and is strictly based on numbers. This is why there is a possibility that you pay child support with joint custody.
Income Differences Between Parents Often Determine Who Pays
While every scenario is different, the parent who has primary custody receives support from the parent with less residential time. Where two parents have the same amount of time, the higher-earning parent may still have to pay support to the other parent.
This means that you may still have to pay child support with joint custody, even if you share the same amount of residential time with the other parent.
Parenting Time Can Affect the Amount of Child Support
The amount of time spent with the child can affect payment amounts, even if you do pay child support with equal residential time.
A parent may be eligible for a residential credit deviation for more time spent with a child.
Certain factors that may affect the amount owed may include:
- More overnight stays may reduce the payment amount
- Courts consider the actual time spent, not just agreements
Parenting time is one of many factors a judge considers when determining how much child support is owed. If you believe you are paying too much or if you think you are not getting enough child support, speaking with an attorney to go over your situation may be helpful.
Additional Expenses May Be Shared Between Parents
In Washington State, parents shall incur additional expenses along proportional share lines under a child support order. These expenses typically include:
- Childcare expenses
- Health insurance premiums
- Medical costs not covered by insurance
- Educational or extracurricular expenses
Sometimes, parents cannot agree on their own how to split these costs, so the courts may step in. Often, these costs are split based on income, not necessarily straight down the middle, so the higher-earning parent may end up paying a larger share.
Child Support Agreements Must Be Approved by the Court
While many parents come to child support agreements outside of court, especially in amicable divorces or separations, courts must still approve these arrangements for them to be legally binding. Without this, a parent may choose not to pay. Without the proper documentation, the other parent may be left with no legal recourse.
There are also specific legal guidelines that Washington State follows (RCW 26.19.080) regarding child support payments, so before an agreement can be considered enforceable, it must be reviewed and signed off on by a judge.
In Washington, both parents have a financial responsibility to their children, regardless of custody. By ensuring you follow the proper process to legally guarantee fair child support payments, you help protect your children.
Changes in Income or Parenting Time Can Affect Child Support
While you do pay child support with joint custody, that payment amount can be adjusted if there are significant changes in one or both parents’ lives. These often include:
- Job changes or income increases
- Changes in custody or parenting schedules
- New financial responsibilities
- Significant life changes
Consulting with an attorney will allow you to review your case and may help you determine if your current child support arrangement is still meeting your child’s needs.
Dellino Family Law is Here to Help You Ensure Fair Child Support Agreements are Made
Protecting your child means more than their physical well-being; it also includes their emotional and financial well-being.
By ensuring child support payments are fair, you are giving your child the gift of consistency. At Dellino Family Law, we are here to help you prioritize your child. If you believe your child support payments need another review, schedule your consultation today.
