Just because you are going through a divorce does not necessarily mean you will receive child support. Even if you have a child with your soon-to-be ex-spouse, this doesn’t guarantee that you will receive child support payments in the future.
While not always the case, there is a much better chance of receiving child support if the court awards you full custody of your child. From there, if appropriate, the court will use its calculations to determine how much money you should receive.
What factors come into play?
While every state has its own child support guidelines, most take the following details into consideration:
- The custody arrangement, including the amount of time spent with each parent
- The financial needs of the child
- The income of each parent, as well as the person’s ability to make regular child support payments
- The standard of living before the divorce
If you believe you should receive child support, it’s important to keep this in mind as the divorce process begins. For example, if you’re working through things in mediation, you should consider this one of the most important details.
There is no way of knowing for sure if you will receive child support, but you have the right to learn more about the legal system and what the court takes into consideration when making a final decision.
If you feel that receiving child support is necessary to provide your child with the life he or she deserves, focus the appropriate amount of time and energy on this during your divorce case.
Source: FindLaw, “How Much Child Support Can You Receive?,” accessed Feb. 07, 2018