How to Use The Child Support Calculator
To calculate child support the Maricopa Superior Court generally follows the Arizona child support guidelines unless a party can show good cause for why a deviation is in the minor child(rens) best interest.
Pursuant to the Arizona child support the court will use the child support calculator. This calculator allows you to enter all the information and gives the parents a child support obligation.
The first information that must be entered is the child’s name and birth date. This information is important to determine when child support will start and when child support will end. The minor child(rens) birth date also determines if an adjustment of 10% is warranted. Child support for that child will adjust by 10% if the child is over 12 years old because the Arizona child support guidelines recognize that children over 12 are more expensive.
The second field used to calculate child support is income. The court takes into account several things:
(1) Gross income
(2) Court ordered spousal maintenance paid and received
(3) Custodial parenting of other children not common to the relationship
(4) Court-ordered child support from other relationships.
Although this seems simple the Court can inpute income (increase the income of one party) if that party is receiving non-taxable income, gifts, willfully remaining underemployed, or receiving any other type of service, good or money that affects income even if indirectly. Good examples of this are rent given by a friend and housing allowance given by work.
The third field used to calculate child support is additions. Additions are things such as medical, dental, and vision paid for the parent for the child. Additions also include extra education expense such as tuition for a charter school, daycare for a minor child, and extraordinary expenses that would be used for a handicapped or gifted child. The goal of this field is to give the parent credit for the items the parent is paying for on a monthly basis.
The fourth field used to calculate child support is obligations. The primary item to remember is the number of days adjustment. This section generally will only be filled out if the parents are not using an equal time schedule (Under time-sharing agreement at the top of the form states essentially equal). If the time sharing agreement at the top of the calculator says mostly with mother or mostly with father the court will use this section to give the non-primary parent credit for the days he/she spends with their child.
Although this calculator is a very helpful tool to use at trial and when deciding strategy for your case it is important that the numbers used can be proved to the court, are backed up with supporting documents, and that the form is filled out properly.
To access the Arizona child support calculator please visit the Arizona courts child custody calculator online.
Click here to download your own copy of the Child Support Calculator in Excel Format.
For more information, please call 602-889-6274 to speak with an experienced attorney today.
