If a New Jersey couple is divorcing or expecting a new baby while not married, child support needs to be considered. Depending on the circumstances, a parent may need to raise the child alone and will need help paying for the expenses. Or they may have visitation rights and need to pay support. A person may wonder how child support is calculated in New Jersey.
Child support in New Jersey
The court will first determine who is the custodial parent and the noncustodial parent. The custodial parent has physical custody of the child, and the child lives with them for a majority of time. The noncustodial parent has parenting time, also known as visitation. The New Jersey courts take into account the income of both parents to determine how much support the noncustodial parent gives to the custodial parent. Income sources include:
- Regular compensation
- Bonuses and tips
- Gains from business
- Gains from selling property
- Interest and dividends
- Spousal maintenance
- Social Security
- Veterans’ Administration income
- Workers’ compensation
- Disability payments
- Unemployment benefits
- Severance pay
- Gambling income
Net income is determined by adding the income and subtracting expenses such as taxes, alimony, child support and union dues.
The court will take into account how much time the child spends with each parent and the average amount families spend on their children. They will then use a schedule to determine the amount of child support the noncustodial parent will need to pay.
Having an attorney who is skilled in New Jersey child support can help a person understand how child support works in New Jersey and protect their client’s rights. They can advocate aggressively for parents and their children, whether they expect to receive child support or make child support payments.