If you are facing a divorce or the process of establishing parental rights, you will likely encounter a court order for one parent to pay child support. The Arizona Family Court system prioritizes establishing the correct level of child support, ensuring that the child has the necessary resources while preventing either parent from paying more than necessary. Unfortunately, the calculations involved in this determination can often seem mysterious to the parents in question.
To help, we’ve created a free calculator to clarify child support for both parents involved. Learn more about the calculator and how to determine how much child support you could expect to pay or receive.
Why a Child Support Calculator?
Child support is designed to ensure the needs of a child are met by both parents, even if they are not parenting together. This occurs most often in the event of divorce or separation but can also occur if the child’s two parents were never involved in a relationship. The state of Arizona places a high priority on child support payments as a means for one parent to provide for their child financially, to the extent that it does not allow the erasure of child support debt, even in bankruptcy.
The state holds that both parents have a legal obligation to support their children, whether they are naturally born or adopted. Under this obligation, parents are equally held responsible for the financial support of the child. The contribution of each parent is not solely dependent on which parent has physical or legal custody of the child, though parents who are not providing shelter, food, and other resources on a daily basis are often the ones required to send financial support instead.
Monthly child support payments are established through a complex set of guidelines set by the state. Due to the importance of child support and some common misunderstandings regarding child support calculations, The Valley Law Group has released a convenient online tool. Our Arizona child support calculator is designed to help you estimate the child support obligations of either yourself or your child’s other parent.
Accessing the Calculator
If you are facing the possibility of paying or receiving child support, you can use our Arizona Child Support Calculator to estimate the amount of those monthly payments. The first step is to visit our Child Support Calculator page and review the information that you will need to enter to receive an accurate estimate. Then, proceed with the rest of these steps.
Inputting Information
After you’ve accessed the calculator, you’ll begin by ensuring you have the right information to input. The first requirement is to enter the number of children you currently have and how much parenting time you have with your children.
This information is divided into three options:
- The child spends equal or close to equal time with both parents
- The child spends most of the time with you
- The child spends most of the time with the other parent
Of these three options, you should select the option that is most applicable to you and your family’s circumstances.
Next, select how you and the other parent are paid, either hourly, monthly or annually.
Both your income and that of the other parent are crucial factors when the state sets child support. Take time to gather the correct information and enter it as accurately as you can.
Next are childcare costs, which can be complicated to estimate.
Consider these potential costs:
- Daycare or preschool fees
- Babysitting or nanny services
- After-school programs or activities
- Necessities for childcare programs, such as diapers, clothing, and educational materials
- Transportation costs
Once you have entered the information, the child support calculator will follow state guidelines and generate an estimate of your monthly child support payments.
Understanding the Results
The online calculator provides an approximation of the payments you should expect. These calculations are not legally binding and do not reflect other considerations that a court may take into account. You and your attorney may disagree with the child support calculation provided by the calculator, but developing an estimate of the child support that may be required according to the information you provided can be a useful tool. For example, your attorney can advise you to gather more accurate information or request negotiations with the other parent.
To gain a more accurate understanding of child support and how those payments are calculated, you should consult with the attorneys at The Valley Law Group. After a consultation, our Arizona child support attorneys can offer precise assessments and legal advice.
Establishing Child Support Payments
Once you have calculated an estimated child support payment, it is time to begin navigating the child support process in Arizona.
The initial task you should complete before evaluating Arizona child support should be to hire an attorney. Your Phoenix child support attorney can guide you through the process and help you prepare by gathering essential financial documents. These documents include tax returns, income statements, childcare receipts, healthcare receipts, and any documentation of the child’s education expenses.
Your attorney’s assistance with gathering accurate information is critical. Setting child support is a serious matter and modifying the child support later on could pose an additional financial and logistical burden on you. By ensuring child support is set accurately the first time, you can reduce the risk you’ll need a modification later on.
Your attorney can also help you take an active role in your child support determination. Your active involvement in the child support determination process is vital. Stay involved by attending all court hearings and being proactive to ensure your child support agreement is fair and in your child’s interests.
Maintaining open communication with the other parent via your attorney can promote a positive co-parenting relationship and facilitate a fair and efficient child support resolution. Supporting a child whose parents are seeking divorce is more than ensuring financial support is available. Developing a strong parenting plan and following through can help you build a supportive environment in which the child will thrive.
An experienced family law attorney can provide invaluable guidance throughout the divorce process and ensure that your child’s needs remain a priority.
Child Support Guidelines
After you’ve secured representation from a skilled Arizona child support attorney, it’s important to learn about the state’s child support guidelines. Arizona’s child support guidelines are designed to create consistent and equitable child support determinations and to ensure the child involved in the case receives the resources they need. These resources include the child’s housing, health, education, and general welfare.
Family court judges usually adhere closely to the state’s guidelines. Parents should familiarize themselves with the basics of these guidelines, which serve four main purposes.
These are:
- To meet children’s needs and ensure parents’ ability to pay
- To make child support orders fair and keep them consistent across similar situations
- To guide parents and courts when setting child support
- To comply with federal law and state law
In general, the guidelines ensure consistency and predictability in child support orders by reducing unfairness and aiding in settlement negotiations.
Child support is then calculated based on multiple factors, most importantly, both parents’ income, the child’s basic needs, and any extraordinary expenses like medical costs.
Then, the court will consider the following, if applicable:
- The financial resources and needs of the child
- The child’s educational needs
- The medical support plan for the child
- The standard of living the child would have enjoyed in an intact home
- The financial resources and needs of the custodial parent
- The financial resources and needs of the noncustodial parent
- The scheduled amount of parenting time for both parents
Based on these guidelines, the noncustodial parent is often ordered to pay child support, but not always. An established child support attorney can help you interpret these guidelines and how they apply to your unique family situation. They can also help you pursue favorable terms for your child support arrangement.
Why You Need Legal Representation When Setting Child Support
Many parents believe that forgoing legal representation can save money during a child support case. However, the long-term costs could greatly outweigh the short-term savings. If you are ordered to pay an unreasonable amount of child support due to inaccurate information, pursuing a modification could be difficult and costly. If you are seeking child support, you may end up receiving less than your child needs.
Whether you’re establishing child support payments or seeking modifications based on new support calculations, an attorney can help in several ways.
Skilled Negotiation
Ideally, parents can reach mutual agreements on child custody and family court issues before the case proceeds to litigation. The court will generally accept such agreements so long as they are fair and serve the child’s best interest. Your lawyer can negotiate with the other parent’s attorney to help achieve a favorable child support arrangement and prevent disputes; such an agreement can then be approved by a family court judge.
Communication
Child support lawyers provide a crucial layer of professional communication that can help you navigate the many challenges of working with your child’s other parent as well as the issue of courtroom litigation. This includes representing you during negotiations or conversations with the other parent’s lawyer to keep discussions focused and reduce emotional stress. Your attorney can also effectively present a comprehensive argument to establish your case in court.
Legal Knowledge
Even with the availability of a child support calculator, understanding child support laws and guidelines can help you ensure that your child receives fair and adequate support. An Arizona child support attorney has years of accrued knowledge as well as extensive education to help you understand the law and the child support process. In addition, their familiarity with the Arizona Family Court system can help you navigate child support proceedings more effectively.
Experience
An attorney has years of experience managing court filings, procedures, and evidence. Not only can you trust that your attorney will effectively pursue a fair child support settlement, but you’ll be able to allow them to do so while you concentrate on your family. At any time during your case, you can ask questions about the legal process and receive clear, accurate, answers.
Identifying Unique Legal Strategies
Even the most amicable of discussions between parents about how to support their children after a divorce or separation can quickly spiral into contentious disagreements. However, an attorney will be able to navigate these obstacles by focusing on the legalities of the case. A skilled attorney can determine which strategies can support your argument regarding child support, and then employ them effectively.
Child Support FAQs
Calculating child support can be both complex and confusing, and can raise many questions. We’ve answered some of the most common questions below.
The Valley Law Group: Your Arizona Child Support Attorneys
The online child support calculator can provide you with a general idea of what your child support obligations may be. However, the online tool can only provide an estimate, and there may be other factors involved in your case that affect your payment. To gain a fuller understanding of the child support process, contact an experienced family law attorney who can represent you in court and ensure that your child support determination is fair and reasonable.
To schedule your child support consultation, with Arizona’s premier child support attorneys, contact The Valley Law Group today.
Sources:
- Arizona Child Support Guidelines. (n.d.). Www.azcourts.gov. https://www.azcourts.gov/familylaw/Child-Support-Family-Law-Information/Arizona-Child-Support-Guidelines
- 25-320 – Child support; factors; methods of payment; additional enforcement provisions; definitions. (n.d.). Www.azleg.gov. https://www.azleg.gov/ars/25/00320.htm
- 6 Common Myths About Child Support | Arizona Department of Economic Security. (2019). Az.gov. https://des.az.gov/featured-story/6-common-myths-about-child-support
Jonathan Roeder, Founder/Director of Marketing of The Valley Law Group, is an Arizona native who has dedicated his life and career to the service of others. After graduating salutatorian of his high school class, Jonathan attended beautiful and prestigious Pepperdine University, where he majored in Political Science. During his tenure at Pepperdine University, his passion for helping others grew after securing a clinical position with a residential treatment center for juveniles with substance addictions. Post-graduation, Jonathan returned to Arizona and served as a residential manager for mentally and physically disabled homes.