Who Pays Child Support If You Share Custody? 

There is a common misconception that when one or both parents have joint custody, child support should be eliminated. However, that is not always the case. 

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The answer to who pays child support depends on many factors, including the children’s needs and their parent’s incomes. In most cases, a judge will follow guidelines to determine the amount of support that should be paid by each parent. 

If a judge believes that the child support guidelines are unfair, they may override those guidelines in order to determine the appropriate level of child support. This is especially true in situations where the children spend an unequal amount of time with each parent. 

Most courts will require the non-custodial parent to pay child support, even in joint physical custody cases. In most cases, this will be done based on the parent’s income and expenses, including health insurance premiums, educational costs and extracurricular activities. 

When the child supports are calculated, a formula will be used to determine the amount of money that each parent must pay to the other. The formula will look at the total amount of income, including both wage earnings and investment income. The formula will also consider the number of expenses for each child, such as medical and dental care, daycare, schooling and other costs that are associated with raising a child. 

This formula will be adjusted if the child spends an unequal amount of time with each parent, or if there are other expenses related to raising the child. The court will also take into account the parent’s work schedules and any other expenses that the child may have. 

Some courts will also include any alimony that the parent receives if it is appropriate. This will add to the amount of child support that a parent is responsible to pay, so it is important to consult with an experienced family law attorney to ensure that your child support payments are as fair and reasonable as possible. 

It is often important to remember that child support is meant to help provide for the needs of your children, not the financial needs of your former spouse. This will help to ensure that your children maintain the same lifestyle that they had before you separated, which is something that can make a major difference for their emotional well-being. 

Moreover, it will help to keep their quality of life up, which can also be beneficial for their social adjustment and general well-being. When parents are able to put their focus on the best interests of their children, they can find shared parenting arrangements that are effective and beneficial for both parties. 

In some states, such as Pennsylvania, there is a special system called 50/50 custody where the higher-earning parent pays child support to the lesser-earning parent. This is known as “equal time sharing” and is more common in cases where the parents live close to one another so that their children will not have to go out of town for extended periods of time.