Georgia law mandates that child support issues must be determined before parties with minor children can get divorced. A determination must be made as to who is going to pay child support and how much the support will be. In Georgia, child support is based on the income of both parents, along with several other factors that affect the child’s needs and the ability of both parents to meet those needs. Georgia’s child support worksheets provide the guidelines that are the minimum basis for determining the amount of child support that is most appropriate for a particular case.
In addition to the income of each party, the following factors may also be considered:
- Private school
- Health insurance
- Childcare costs
- Travel expenses involved in visitation
- Medical expenses
- Extracurricular activities for the child
- Other extraordinary expenses
At times, the child support ordered does not pay for all of the additional expenses that come with raising a child, such as school expenses and extracurricular activities. It is important to clarify who will be paying for these expenses in a settlement agreement; otherwise, it will be presumed that they are included in the child support amount. You need an experienced attorney to make sure that these issues are covered in your divorce. Our family law attorneys at Bodker, Ramsey, Andrews, Winograd & Wildstein, P.C. have extensive training with the child support guidelines, and are committed to each client’s case by helping to gather all of the necessary documentation and evidence in order to determine the appropriate amount of child support. No matter how difficult your situation might be, we are here to help every step of the way.
If you are a parent and either are in need of child support or are having difficulty making your child support payments, we urge you to contact us at (404) 351-1615 for a free no obligation consultation.