California law and those in other states vary when it comes to guidelines and regulations pertaining to child-related issues in divorce. Child support laws in another state are slated for a major change that could cause some parents great concern. The change has to do with key factors the court will consider when making decisions regarding whether parents in given situations will be mandated to pay child support, as well as how much such payments might be.
The law typically takes into consideration the income levels of both parents when one parent requests child support. However, beginning in July, another state’s court will also consider how much time each parent spends with his or her children before it renders decisions regarding child support. The motive behind this change includes a desire to give full-time parents a financial break when striving to make ends meet after divorce.
In essence, the new law basically says that the more time a parent spends with a child, the less he or she has to contribute to financial support. For those making six-figure incomes, this could mean as much as a $10,000 decrease in payment amounts per year. Some say the law is well-intended but will result in parents trying to monopolize time with their children simply to avoid paying more child support.
It could also cause problems where a parent receiving child support might resort to withholding parenting time from the other parent. If a California parent is worried about such issues or other child-related matters in divorce, he or she may request a consultation with a family law attorney to seek clarification of current state laws and explore all options that may be available to rectify a particular problem. An experienced attorney considers children’s best interests and parental rights of highest priority.
Source: ilnews.org, “Divorce attorney: New Illinois law incentivizes one parent to keep child away from the other“, Cole Lauterbach, Accessed on June 22, 2017