Having custody over your child means you have the decision making power regarding the child’s upbringing and development. Child custody can be of two forms. In the shared custody child support, both the parents share an equal amount of time spent with the child physically.
This means that anyone of the parents must spend no less than 40% time physically with the child. This “40% threshold” is calculated and determined to consider various factors.
Factors that Determine Shared Custody Child Support
According to the Child Support Guidelines, the shared custody child ailment is determined by considering two factors of the parents and one for the child.
The Income of the Parents
The total yearly income of each parent decides how much time they would get with their child in a shared custody child funding system. As cost is the deciding factor in shared custody child maintenance, whether the parents can bear the cost of their child individually is very important.
However, it is being recommended to determine what type of costs would decide on shared custody. For example, clothing, health care, recreation, and education could be the main costs for the upbringing of a child. It means that as a parent, you can show the court that his income throughout the year is stable enough to be granted at least a 40% shared custody.
Means and Needs of the Parents
If the income of the parents meets the minimum criteria, the court also takes into account the needs of the parents to be with their child. As the biological guardian, both parents would want to be with their children.
In a shared custody system, the overall environment of each parent’s home and their psychological behavior towards the child are also considered.
The Betterment of the Child
The court further adds the factor of how the relationship of the child is with each parent. The court certainly understands that a child needs his parents to develop sound mental health for future life and examines whether the environment and parent’s capability is enough for the development. If the income criteria is met, the court always looks at whether the child can grow peacefully with both the parents in the shared custody system.
Winning the Shared Custody in the Court
To win over the verdict of shared custody, parents must focus on three major negotiation points, which are legal custody, physical custody, and parenting time. These are some essential agreements that must be considered while filing a divorce.
The negotiation part is vital. You would want a 50-50 share of the child, and starting from there would make your point strong, and you may end up with the minimum 40% support. Once each parent has secured legal custody of the child, it is essential to focus on physical custody, which should be at least shared.
Not having shared custody means that the parent is considered a non-parent, and you lose every right over your child. As the separation of parents can leave a huge toll on the psychology of the child, shared custody child support can be one of the best outcomes.
Calculating Shared Custody
The process of calculating shared custody differs from state to state, but there are some common aspects that the parents can consider. The income of each parent determines it. You can also use a child support calculator to calculate the amount.
Firstly, it is the yearly income. Along with this, the number of children is also a key factor. The cost of living in the state and the standard of living in the premises of the parents are also factors that are calculated to determine the amount of time for the shared funding.
Conclusion
The shared custody child support system can be very tricky, and there are a lot of processes to go through in this system. The negotiations and calculating factors are very systematic and sophisticated and suggest that if the parents are confused, they may lose shared custody support due to the lack of knowledge and professionalism.
It is always best to hire a professional lawyer specializing in this field to help you guide through the whole process of shared custody child ailment system.