Washington State uses a standard formula and support schedule to calculate child support obligations. A McKinley Irvin Seattle child custody lawyer can easily explain the formula and how it applies to your case. In order to use the formula, the court looks at only the parent’s income; however, the court may look to other factors as well.

Mandatory forms for Washington child support can be found at Washington State child support forms.

“Income” can be hard to determine, as it includes such things as wages, consistent overtime, bonuses, commissions, SSI benefits, and investment dividends, for example.  There are other factors, too attenuated to discuss here, that may affect an order.  A Seattle child custody lawyer with child support experience should go over what might apply to your case with you.

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Additionally, parents are required to pay for expenses like daycare, uninsured medical and dental, and education.  As any Seattle child custody lawyer will tell you, these expenses must be actually incurred in order to be obligatory.  The court can either determine a fixed amount for such extras and add it to the monthly child support obligation, or a Seattle child custody lawyer can draft the order to have the expenses paid as incurred, with each side paying his or her proportionate share.  A Seattle child custody lawyer, again, can help determine which way is best based on the circumstances of the individual case, and how likely it is that the expenses will be paid.

The Washington State Department of Child Support provides collection assistance for parents entitled to receive child support in addition to what your Seattle child custody lawyer can provide by way of legal action.  An obligor’s support payment may be deducted directly from his or her pay by the Department of Child Support, who will in turn pay the obligee, or the obligor may pay directly. Your Seattle child custody lawyer can help you decide which option will best balance the efficiency of payment with harmonious relations.

Under Washington State family law, every parent has a duty to provide financial support for his or her child.  If a custodial parent receives state support, the state can seek reimbursement from the other parent for these expenses.  A Seattle child custody lawyer can help you defend against this action.

A Seattle child custody lawyer can also help you with the payment of the post-secondary educational expenses of a child.  These expenses include such things as tuition, books, and living expenses.  Before ordering such payments, the court will look at several factors including the parent’s educational history, the child’s education history, and ability to pay.  Often, college education is not dealt with in an initial child support order, because the child at issue is young and it is unknown what her future holds.  If an existing order says nothing about post secondary expenses, a parent seeking such support must petition for it within a certain time as prescribed by law.

As with any other family law issue, a qualified McKinley Irvin Seattle child custody lawyer should be consulted to ensure that child support obligations are determined fairly and accurately, and that the child receives the financial support that he or she needs.

For specific statutory language regarding the child support schedule, please refer to Chapter 26.19 RCW: Child support schedule.