When a family unit breaks down and two partners are no longer on the same page, the most affected party is always the children. Children are too young to fend for themselves so certain laws have been put into place in order to ensure their welfare even when mom and dad are at odds with each other.
Defining Child Support
In simple terms, child support is a continuous scheduled payment made by one parent for the financial needs of his or her child. In most cases, the payment is made to an obligee which could be a guardian, a custodial parent, or the state. In the state of California, for example, the payment for child support, especially if it involves custodial parties, would be made through the State Disbursement Unit. From there, the payment is then made to the concerned parties via direct deposit, electronic payment card, and bank check.
There are many ways by which child support can come. One of the most common, however, would involve the dissolution of marriage regardless if it is via divorce, annulment, or legal separation.
Child Support Laws in Sacramento
In Sacramento, CA, claims or order for child support are only acted upon if there is an active case in the court. If there is none and you are married, you would need first to file for the dissolution or nullity of the marriage. On the other hand, if you are not married, you are required to file a petition in order to establish parental relationship after which, you can already file for request orders for custody as well as support.
In determining how much the child support should be, the income of both parents are taken into consideration. If you are also providing child support for your other children, this could also have an impact on how much you have to pay for the current one. Of course, other external factors are taken into consideration including tax updates, current minimum wage rate, and low income adjustment, among others. Keep in mind that Sacramento County adheres to statewide guidelines when it comes the computation of child support.
Nuances of the Child Support Payment
Once your child support claim has been approved, you would be able to receive the child support via your chosen method. Child support payment amounts can change over time. Some of the causes of this would include changes in the income of the other party, deduction of the annual service fee, and the existence of other child support cases.
Sources:
- (Child Support, saccourt.ca.gov)
- (Custodial Party FAQs, childsup.ca.gov)