Medina County Child Support Lawyers

Attorneys Helping Calculate Financial Support for Children in Summit County and Wayne County

The costs of raising a child are significant, and both parents should share in those costs, whether they are married, unmarried, separated, or divorced. During the divorce process, determining child support obligations is often one of the primary concerns of both spouses, since paying or receiving support will have a major impact on parents' financial resources and their ability to provide for children's needs.

Ohio's child support laws are complex, so it is essential to work with a skilled attorney to ensure that payments are calculated correctly. At The Law Office of Whitney K.S. Miller, LLC, our lawyers have 21 years of combined experience in family law, and we can help you make sure your children's needs are being met. During the divorce process, we will not just tell you what you want to hear, but we will keep you informed about what you need to know to make the right decisions and reach a favorable outcome to your case.

Ohio Child Support Laws

During the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities, one parent will be designated the residential parent, and they may receive child support payments from the nonresidential parent. Ohio law provides guidelines for calculating the amount of child support as follows:

1. Each parent's gross annual income is calculated, including the average of overtime pay, bonuses, and commissions over the previous three years, as well as any income from self-employment, interest, dividends, unemployment compensation, workers' compensation, disability insurance benefits, or Social Security disability or retirement benefits.
2. Each parent's net income is determined by subtracting adjustments for other children, child support, spousal support, local income taxes, and work-related costs such as union dues.
3. The parent's net incomes are added together, and the percentage of each parent's income to the total income is calculated.
4. A basic combined child support obligation is determined using the table provided in Ohio's Revised Code. This obligation is based on the parents' combined net income and the number of children they share.
5. Each parent's annual support obligation is determined by multiplying the basic combined child support obligation by that parent's percentage of the total income.
6. Adjustments to these obligations are made based on the amount parents contribute to expenses such as child care, education costs, and health insurance.

While a child support obligation will be calculated for each parent, the residential parent will be presumed to directly spend their obligation on the children. The nonresidential parent will be required to pay their obligation to the residential parent.

The amount of child support determined by the guidelines will be considered appropriate for most situations, but there may be some cases in which the court deviates from the guidelines and increases or decreases a parent's obligation. This may occur because children have special needs, because there are extraordinary costs associated with a parent's parenting time, because there is a large disparity between parents' incomes, or for a variety of other reasons.

Contact Our Medina County Family Law Attorneys

Our attorneys can assist in determining gross and net income for both parents to ensure that all factors are taken into account when calculating child support. If necessary, we can also argue for a deviation from the Ohio child support guidelines that will allow you to maintain financial security while ensuring that your children have the support they need. Contact our office at 330-725-4114 to learn more. We do offer free consultations in most family law cases. We serve clients in Brunswick, Wooster, Wadsworth, Akron, Fairlawn, Rittman, Orrville, Barberton, and surrounding areas.