In the State of Georgia both parents would be responsible to pay child support allotments concerning minor children. The court may order child support payments from either parent based on the customary needs of the minor children and that parent’s ability to financially pay for those needs. The statute regarding child support payments does not set out any specific factors which the court must consider in making a child support amount determination and order. There are however child support guidelines set out by the statute which all courts must follow in cases where the parents the child’s parents are unable to agree on who will be responsible to pay what concerning the marital child’s physical and educational needs.
Factors Followed in Special Circumstances
Special Circumstances are set out in Code of Georgia Annotated, 19-5-12, 19-6-14 and 19-6-15 and the special factors to be considered by the court in determining a child support payment are as follows:
- Age of child or children
- Child’s ordinary and extraordinary medical expenses and related needs
- Child’s educational expenses
- Costs of daycare
- Shared physical custody arrangements
- A parent’s support obligations to another household
- Any hidden income belonging to a parent
- The income of the parent with physical custody of the child
- Other parental contributions to the financial, physical and emotional needs of the child
- Extreme economic circumstances of either parent
- A parent’s specific own extraordinary financial needs
- Historic spending levels of the family
- Cost of health and accident insurance coverage for the child
- Extraordinary visitation expenses for the parent or the child
In Georgian sole or joint custody of a marital child is granted on the basis of the best interests of the child and thereafter several other factors may be considered by the court in granting physical custody of a child including any instances of marital abuse or neglect. The child support payments may be heavily affected by which parent maintains the physical custody of the marital child or children.
Getting Legal Help
If you or a member of your family is considering dissolving a marriage in the State of Georgia with children involved and are unsure about what sort of child support payments the parents will be required to pay and the manner in which payment will be required it would be important to contact a divorce lawyer to discuss the circumstances of the divorce and the present and future financial needs of the marital children. An attorney can provide valuable assistance in sorting out the financial elements usually involved in divorce actions.
