A Muskogee child support attorney can be your best friend in many ways if you’re facing a divorce in Oklahoma.
Your children are naturally your top priority, and you want to do everything within your power to protect their health, well-being, and happiness. Part of this is receiving the child support you need to continue meeting your children’s needs. Raising children as a single parent is even more financially taxing than raising children as a married couple.
Divorce leaves nearly everyone less financially well-off, but child support is intended to help offset this.
Oklahoma Child Support Guidelines
Child support in Oklahoma is based on a complex formula – the intention of which is to provide the children of divorce with the same percentage of income from each parent that they would have received had the parents stayed married. The outcome is based on both parents’ gross monthly income, including all active and passive sources (unless specifically excluded):
- Pre-tax monthly income
- Overtime pay
- Bonuses
- Supplemental income
- Monetary gifts
- Unemployment insurance
- Disability benefits
- Social Security benefits
- Miscellaneous income sources
Income Adjustments
The amount of total income that each of you earn will be adjusted by the court to account for certain expenses that you both spend on your children throughout the month. These amounts are typically split on your pro rata percentage of income. Pro rata refers to the percentage each of you earn in relation to the total earnings of both of you combined.
For example, if you and your ex’s combined incomes equal $10,000 per month and you earn $3,000 per month while your ex earns $7,000 per month, your pro rata percentage is 30 percent, and your ex’s is 70 percent. Those additional expenses are then apportioned accordingly, and you will be responsible for paying for 30 percent of them while your ex will be responsible for paying the remaining 70 percent.
Child Support Can Be Affected by Visitation
The State of Oklahoma implements what is known as a Shared Parenting Credit, which reduces the amount of child support that the parent who pays child support owes – if his or her overnights with the children significantly exceeds the number of overnights originally specified. Once the number of overnights exceeds 121 per year, the amount of child support owed may be decreased.
Modifying Child Support
If there is a change in circumstances that justifies modification, child support can be modified. For example, if either parent’s income changes substantially or if the number of overnights dramatically increases or decreases (since the original computation of child support), this fact will likely support a child support modification.
Consult with an Experienced Muskogee Child Support Attorney Today
Your children are your number one priority, and an important factor in your ability to continue providing for them to the best of your ability is the child support you receive.
Child support in Oklahoma is based on a complicated calculation that involves multiple variables. The child support you receive is critical to your children’s ongoing well-being, so please contact my office and allow me to help.