Understanding Child Support in Maryland

Child support is the responsibility of the parties to support their children financially, including housing, clothing, food, any of the necessities, and even the luxuries that a child or the children were enjoying while their parents were together. Understanding child support in Maryland is important. A dedicated child support lawyer could help you reach a fair agreement that works for you and your child or children.

Calculating Child Support

Under Maryland law though, child support guidelines are calculated according to a mathematical formula based on a shared-income model, so the gross income of both parties is taken into account. That means that before-tax, or gross income, as well as certain expenses, depending on who is paying for them, and certain expenses and out-of-pocket costs are for health insurance.

That also includes extraordinary medical expenses paid by either party, which under Maryland law means any medical expenses of more $250 per year. There also is any work-related child care, which could be a very large expense when they have young children, and who is paying for that, and sometimes even private school tuition, educational expenses and even transportation expenses. Those numbers are put into a mathematical software formula, and sometimes the people argue over what someone’s income is or is not, depending on jobs, investments, and whether someone owns their own business. When the numbers are agreed on, or when the judge runs the guidelines, it will be the number of the child-support guidelines, and it is very difficult to get the judge to change that number.

Why Should a Parent Pay Child Support?

A person needs to pay child support based on a mathematical formula, but sometimes the parties agree to no child support, or the child support is minimal. If both parties have equal access, they are paying for the children half the time, and often, even if there would be child support from one to the other, the parties can certainly agree that there should be no child support. The child support mathematical formula calculates both parties’ income and outlines that each party is paying a certain amount in child support, but the formula does show that one party has to pay the other party a certain amount. Cases change and incomes change, so child support has to be constantly changing as well.

Reach Out To Maryland Child Support Attorney

There are many reasons to contact a Maryland child-support lawyer. An attorney can advise you and discuss the different ways child support will be calculated, the expenses that are going to be used. They can advise you on how to proceed with setting up your child-support case.

An attorney could advocate on your behalf and determine the needs of that particular child or children. They can take into account many things and be able to argue to a judge, if necessary, why child support should be lower or higher than it is, and comes down to just using the mathematical strict formula.

Many times there are many things that people pay on behalf of the children, such as extracurricular expenses. If they are not properly advised, they may not realize that those are expenses that are not included in child support and that those expenses  should not be paid in lieu of child-support payments. Reach out today to get a better understanding of child support in Maryland.