Child support is one of the toughest things most couples have a hard time agreeing on during divorce or a parenting plan adjustment. In the state of Tennessee, there is a worksheet that is followed to help with this process. This worksheet is used by mediators, lawyers and the whole family court system when determining child support when an agreement cannot be made by the couple.
Your attorney will help you fill out this worksheet and help you navigate your child support wants and needs as you go through mediation with your child(ren)s other parent. For reference you can find the Tennessee child support calculator here https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/for-families/child-support-services/child-support-guidelines/child-support-calculator-and-worksheet-1.html. You can also download the app from the apple or android app stores which makes filling out the information even easier. Here are the criteria taken into consideration on the child support calculator:
- Nights spent with each parent (or a third party if your parenting plan has a third party)
- Income before taxes from both households
- Insurance expenses for child
- Reoccurring medical expenses for child
- Work related child care expenses for child
- Any other child support obligation of either parent
- Other dependent children within the home of either parent
- Previous deviations obligations
Once these criteria are plugged into a worksheet or into the app – you will have a good idea of where the child support numbers will be. Having an experienced family court lawyer with expertise in child support disputes and negotiations can help guide you on how to best prepare for your mediation and what you will need to provide for proof of expenses and income. Here are some other ways our experienced family law attorneys can help you with your child support case:
- Help with filing petitions for your case, including those involving allegations of failure to pay child support.
- Work to enforce petitions to enforce child support obligations through legal tools such as wage garnishment.
- Help you to understand and support you with child support guidelines and the family court system to petition for an appropriate amount of child support.
- Be your family’s advocate when you have special situations such as a special needs child, unusual child custody arrangements, a medically dependent child or other scenarios.
For more information or to discuss your case with one of our family law attorneys, give us a call at 615-890-3656. We are located at 119 N Maple St, Murfreesboro, TN 37130.