To the casual observer, Arizona state laws may seem clear and specific. What is stated in the statutes should be applied to all cases that fall under the particular areas of legislation in question for different legal cases. However, anyone who has had to work through a family law matter may know that the clarity of divorce, support and custody laws is anything but precise. This is because subjective standards, complex formulas and other ambiguous considerations can all come into play to ensure that unique family law matters are assessed fairly and receive appropriate outcomes.
In no area of family law is this truer than in the computation and applicability of child support. Child support is financial support paid by a noncustodial parent for the benefit of their children. Although the state administers guidelines that dictate how much a parent must pay for the benefit of their kids, the results of the guidelines can be adjusted by the kids’ needs, the parent’s capacity to pay and a host of other factors.
For example, the Arizona child support guidelines may determine that a parent should pay $2,000 per month in support to their three children. If, however, one of the children has special needs and requires $1,800 per month in support just to maintain their health, this would leave only $200 for the other two children, which likely would be inadequate to provide them with their needs and wants.
It can therefore be very hard to know if and how much child support a parent may be liable for when beginning the process of creating a child support agreement or order. Parents who want case-specific advice about their child support cases can benefit from working with the attorneys of the Wilson-Goodman Law Group. Our Chandler family law attorneys help individuals find the answers they need to know what they will face as they move toward negotiating their family law matters.