Macon GA Child Support Lawyer

If you are involved in a child support case in the Macon GA area, then call a Macon Georgia - Warner Robins Divorce Lawyer at (478-phone).

What You Need to Know About Child Support in Georgia

If you don’t have legal or physical custody of your child the state of Georgia may require you to pay child support. While this process may seem complicated, it is really a very organized and fair way of ensuring the best interests of the child is being met.

The Determination of Child Support and Who is Responsible for Paying It.

Generally, the parent that doesn’t have custody of the child will be required to pay child support to the parent who has custody of the child. Georgia courts do not favor one parent over another and either the mother or father of the child may be required to pay child support, and the parent who has custody of any minor children will be expected to contribute to the expenses of raising the children.

The guidelines in Georgia generally require that child support must be paid until the child turns 18 or graduates from high school. If the child dies, gets married, or enlists in the military the child support will end. If your rights as a parent are terminated, your child support would end. Any child support paid to the parent that has custody could include money for health insurance, school tuition, school supplies and uniforms, and other expenses.

The guidelines for how much child support should be paid take into account the age of the child, medical costs, school tuition, and how much each parent earns. The court will also look at whether one of the parents has to support another household, or has another family to maintain. The court will also take into account whether either of the parents are paying child support from a previous relationship or has a high debt load.

Each parent will be required to file out a Financial Affidavit and file it with the court. The calculations that determine child support change rapidly as new legislation is enacted and the appellate court hears new cases. You attorney can help you determine the right amount of child support to be paid based upon the current laws and your individual circumstances.

Normally child support payments are made monthly, although the court may order separate arrangements to be made to pay for school tuition and other expenses. If both you and your spouse agree on the amount of child support to be paid, it could help avoid a lengthy litigation process. Keep in mind, that even though you may agree on the amount of child support, the court has the right to throw your agreement out if it finds it to be inadequate and not in the best interest of the child.

The law in Georgia does allow the judge to order that a portion of your spouse’s paycheck be paid to you in order to force your spouse to comply with the child support payment order.

If you are facing a contested or uncontested divorce in the Macon, Warner Robins, Macon-Bibb County, and Fort Valley area, then call the Macon Georgia - Warner Robins legal offices of (Maconfirmname), an experienced divorce attorney.  Call (478-phone) or fill out the form on the right.
Standard Guidelines for Child Support in Georgia

In Georgia, the law requires that the court award child support based upon a certain percentage of that parent’s gross income, minus any other child support that parent may be paying. The law has set ranges for child support based upon how many children there are. The ranges are:
Between 17 and 23 percent of the gross income for one child;
Between 23 and 28 percent of the gross income for two children;
Between 25 and 32 percent of the gross income for three children;
Between 29 and 35 percent of the gross income for four children; and
Between 31 and 27 percent for five or more children.
The judge has the option to deviate from these guidelines but if child support is ordered below the guidelines, the judge has put in writing why such little child support was ordered. These guidelines not only apply to divorces, but to paternity as well.
When determining how much child support will have to be paid, the court will also take into consideration the health of the child. A healthy child generally requires less expensive care than a child who is sickly and has more medical costs.
Changing a Child Support Order
If you are the parent paying child support and you lose your job, the court may reduce the amount of child support you have to pay until you gain employment. In addition, if your child was attending private school, and is now attending a public school, the judge may reduce the amount of child support you have to pay to reflect the fact that you are no longer paying for school tuition.
If both you and your spouse agree on a change in the child support being paid, you should put this agreement in writing and make sure you both sign it. That way there is no misunderstanding in the future.
If your child is visiting you for an extended period of time, the judge may lower the amount you have to pay during the child’s visit.
If an unexpected expense arises, there may be language in the original child support order that addresses the issue. If not, you and your spouse can come to an agreement on how that expense is to be paid and put it in writing.
If you and your spouse can’t agree on how the unexpected expense is to be handled you can take it to court and let the judge decide the issue for you.
The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act

The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act applies to every state in the United States. This act requires that any child custody case must be heard in the court that has jurisdiction over that child, or that the child is most closely associated with. This means that your child custody case should be heard in the county that child lives in, but if the child has moved within the past six months the court could say that the county the child previously lived in has jurisdiction over the child.

If the child has moved recently, the formulas to determine which court should hear that child’s custody case are complicated.  The court will look at where each parent resides, works, pays their taxes, votes, and where the child has most recently attended school.  The court may also consider where the child’s school and medical records are located. The court may also look at the reasons the child moved out of Georgia.

If a child has been abandoned or needs emergency protection because the court feels the child may be being abused or neglected, the court in Georgia will handle the case. If a court in another state has ruled that a court in Georgia has jurisdiction in the child custody matter, the court will hear it immediately.

Health and Life Insurance as Part of a Child Support Order

The court may also order one of the parents to provide insurance for the child in order to make sure the child will be properly cared for. It’s not uncommon for the judge to also order that one or both parents maintain a life insurance policy on themselves naming the child as the beneficiary.

College Education for the Child

While paying for your child’s college education or providing money for your child’s education could be put into the divorce agreement, the court can’t force either parent to pay the college tuition for a child.