California law has outlined guidelines to assigning child support based on the understanding that the most important obligation of a mother and father is to support their child. Depending on the outcome of the custody hearing, the court will order the parent with less custody to pay child support to the parent with majority custody. These payments are to help maintain the child’s lifestyle, education, and development until they reach the age of 18.
The most basic determining factor in assigning child support is the income of both parents. Once that is determined, the court will decide upon the proper payments based on factors including:
- The number of children eligible for child support
- The previously determined custody/time-share agreement
- The child or children’s health insurance expenses
- The parents’ job-related/retirement expenses, as well as tax liabilities
- Whether the paying parent is supporting children from a previous marriage
Depending on the specific situation, there may be other relevant factors that are taken into account for child support..
