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CHILD SUPPORT
The determination of child support is a common issue to be resolved in many divorces. Since 2007, Minnesota uses an "income shares model" to determine parents child support obligations. The primary considerations in determining child support are the parties respective gross incomes and the amount of time each parent spends with the child. In Minnesota child support is broken down into three categories where applicable:
Basic Child Support - intended to cover basic day-to-day expenses
Medical Support - which allocates health and dental insurance costs and unreimebursed expenses.
Child Care Support - covers work adn education related day care expenses
In certain circumstances consideration of other factors such as "non-joint children" (one or both parent has a child with a person other than the current spouse) can affect the child support calculation. We have considerable experience in guiding you through these calculations.
POST DECREE MODIFICATIONS
Child support, custody, visitation, and spousal maintenance sometimes require modification. Child support may be modified if there has been a substantial change in circumstances that renders the existing support order unreasonable and unfair. Increased or decreased earnings, a change in the parenting time schedule, increased or decreased expenses, or emancipation of a child are some examples of changed circumstances that may support a modification. A parent's move or changes in a parent's work schedule/hours of employment may require that parenting time schedules be adjusted.
Similarly, spousal maintenance can be modified if substantial changes in circumstances occur. The most common changes are substantially increased or decreased gross income of a party or substantially increased or decreased need (monthly expenses) of a party.
Call Patrick W. Stewart Law Offices today at 952-432-2200. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us.
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