The North Carolina Child Support Guidelines were created by the North Carolina Conference of Chief District Court Judges to set forth the standards by which your child support is calculated. These Guidelines are revised at least every four years to reflect cost of living increases. According to the guidelines, both parents have a duty to contribute to the support of their children in proportion to their respective net incomes. As a result, both your income and the income of the other parent will factor into the child support calculation.
Other factors the court may consider include:
- The additional cost of health insurance for the child;
- Extraordinary expenses for the child including travel expenses related to visitation;
- Work-related childcare expenses;
- Regularly paid support for other children;
- Which parent claims the children as exemptions for tax purposes; and
- Additional money received outside of your employment or the other parent’s employment, including gifts from friends or family.
Child support may be determined on the child’s actual needs and expenses instead of not using the child support guidelines in certain cases. For example:
- When the parent’s combined incomes exceed the limit of the guidelines, which is $30,000.00 per month at the time of this blog.
- When either parent or child has extraordinary medical costs.
- When a child is disabled with special needs.
- Whenever the application of the guidelines in an individual case would be unjust or inappropriate.
When a judge orders an amount of support that is different from the guideline amount, it is referred to as a “deviation.” Due to the complexity of calculations under the guidelines, many attorneys use computer software to calculate child support. You can review the guidelines in greater detail at https://nddhacts01.dhhs.state.nc.us/WorkSheet.jsp