Child Support

Darryn L. Duchon - Indiana Child Support Laws and Guidelines

Child support obligations in Indiana are determined by a fairly strict set of guidelines that considers the weekly adjusted income of both parents, and requires each parent to pay a proportional amount of for the support of the child or children after divorce. Calculation of child support is affected by the parents' income, work-related child care costs, parenting time, healthcare costs, and many other factors.

The guideline amount itself is determined on the basis of the combined income of the parents, and states as its objective that the child or children should receive the same proportion of the parental income for their support that they would receive if the parents remained together. For detailed advice about what the Indiana Child Support Guidelines mean in your divorce case, contact Indianapolis child support attorney Darryn Duchon.

The guidelines are considerably less rigid than they appear at first glance. Although they provide precise child support obligation figures based on the number of children and the parents' aggregate income, Indiana child support law recognizes that not everyone's situation fits neatly into the grid. Examples where adjustments to the guidelines will readily be granted by the court include situations such as:

• Children from other marriages or relationships - a parent's previous support commitments from a prior relationship can have a significant impact on child support
• The noncustodial parent incurs unusual expenses related to medical conditions, travel for visitation, or business travel
• One parent or the other is not working or is underemployed without justification
• An elderly grandparent depends on one of the parents for support or medical care
• Where real income is hidden because of tax deductions, payment of personal expenses from a business, or non-taxable employee benefits

Additionally, the guidelines do not cover situations where the aggregate adjusted income of the parents exceeds $4,000 per week. Instead, Indiana child support laws provide a simple formula (involving only occasional use of your calculator's logarithm key) for determining support obligations for high-income divorces.

The guidelines also provide for a substantial modification when your child goes off to college. Because so many aspects of the expenses of parenting also have tax implications, it is essential that you understand the available benefits of claiming your children as deductions or for tax credits.

Identification of all sources of income is crucial in determining or negotiating child support rights and obligations. If you're concerned that your spouse might be contemplating divorce, you should make sure that you have a complete understanding of your spouse's income sources as soon as possible in order to protect your interests in the determination of your child support obligations. For additional information, contact Indianapolis child support attorney Darryn Duchon. Evening and Saturday Hours Available.

Indianapolis child support lawyer Darryn L. Duchon represents divorce clients on problems concerning negotiation, litigation, modification, or enforcement of child support orders under Indiana child support laws and guidelines in Marion County, Hamilton County, Boone County, Hendricks County, Morgan County, Johnson County, Shelby County, Hancock County, Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Greenwood, Avon, Zionsville, Beech Grove, and Danville IN.