One hesitation that many Maple Grove families may have about beginning the divorce process is how the details of child support and child custody will affect their family. Child support is a financial amount awarded from one parent to the other parent who has primary physical custody. This amount is determined by a variety of factors, but it is awarded with the best interests of the child in mind. Everyday expenses of raising a child are typically shared expenses by Minnesota parents, regardless of whether or not they are living together.
That is why child support is so important for meeting the financial obligations that raising a child requires. It helps to pay for basic necessities like food, shelter and clothes. But it also allows children to participate in after-school activities and to partake in other activities. Because parents splitting up can be a big adjustment, keeping the rest of their life as constant as possible can help to ease the child into the split-parenting transition.
Child support is appropriate where one parent has the majority of the physical and legal custody responsibilities. They shouldn’t need to carry that financial burden alone. The amounts awarded vary based on a number of factors including a parents’ income, how many children there are, and monthly cost of medical care for the child, to name a few factors. The amount of parenting time that each parent has can also figure into the equation.
In short, a parent owes it to their child to look into the child support process. Courts always try to base child support decisions on the best interests of the child. Although kids can be expensive, neither parent should have to carry the financial costs alone. The attorneys at Terzich and Ort have experience handling a wide variety of family law situations, including those that involve child support. Our website can be a helpful starting point for families who are looking for legal help.