Among all of the possible legal issues that might come up in a divorce case in California, child support oftentimes has a way of stirring up the most contentious feelings between the soon-to-be ex-spouses. That might be true even if they have already reached an agreement on child custody. In a way, sometimes the paying parent views child support as an additional financial penalty that occurs because of the divorce. They think, “of course I’m going to continue to support my child – why should I pay money to my ex-spouse?”
Child support in a divorce
In many cases, the perception of how child support funds are going to be used by the receiving spouse is really the point of contention. That is why family courts often focus on finding an amount of child support that is “fair” to both sides, while also following established child support guidelines.
But, what is “fair”? That is, after all, a subjective term. What might seem fair to one person could seem unfair to another. As you work your way through this complicated legal issue, you’ll want to ensure that only the appropriate factors for your specific case are used to determine the ultimate amount of child support that must be paid. Circumstances like the unique needs of the specific child in question, educational and healthcare needs and even the standard of living the child has experienced thus far in life are some of the crucial factors that will likely be considered.
One of the keys to getting through a child support dispute with a modicum of success is keeping emotions in check. In the end, both parents usually want what is best for the child, it’s just that they disagree on what, exactly, that is.
