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Child support is one of the issues addressed in mediation.
Child support is not the same as alimony or other spousal support, although a couple may decide to fold child support into a broader “family support” payment. Unlike other issues addressed in the dissolution of a relationship, child support does not have as much flexibility in the design.
States have set standards in calculating monthly support amounts, and how child support is determined vary from state to state. A few examples: Illinois standards are based on a percentage of the non-custodial parent’s net income and number of minor children; Wisconsin factors in the number of children, incomes of both parents, and the number of overnights for each parent; while New York considers the incomes of both parents as well as a number of other financial factors in determining child support.
The overall goal of child support laws, is to ensure the children are able to achieve the same standard of living they would have if their parents were still together. The focus is on the children, not the conflicted emotions of the parents for one another.
It is important to know the child support laws of your state. Knowing the laws will help both spouses better determine how they wish to structure their financial agreements.
Parents who choose to mediate their parenting plan or custody agreement, in divorce mediation or other context, should familiarize themselves with the laws of their state. Your CFR Mediator will assist parents in locating resources.
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Additional Reading
- Mediating Child Support
- Divorce Options
- Child Custody & Parenting Mediation
- Mediation Office Locations
- California
- New York
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Tags: child support, co-parenting, custody, divorce, Divorce Mediation, illinois divorce mediator credentialing requirements, Mediation, Parenting, parenting plan
