Indiana state law requires both parents to support their children financially, even if they never wed or decided to end their marriage. Reviewing the Indiana child support guidelines will help you understand how much child support you may receive or expect to pay.
The court considers the factors below when making an initial child support determination.
Parental income and deductions
Indiana family court calculates the wages and earnings of both parents, minus any work-related expenses for a parent who owns his or her own business. Income calculations do not include public assistance payments, food stamps, survivor benefits and Supplemental Security Income. The court considers previous income when calculating support if the parent who does not have primary physical custody does not have a current job.
After calculating net income, the judge determines adjusted gross income by deducting established amounts for the child’s health care premiums and costs, spousal support payments, additional child support payments and other children who live in the noncustodial parent’s household.
Determining percentage and payment
Next, the court adds the AGI of both parents and determines the earnings percentage each person represents. If the mother earns $1,000 a month at a part-time job and the father earns $3,000 a month at a full-time job, he earns 75% of the total AGI and she earns 25%. Depending on how often each parent keeps the child overnight, the father in this example would pay the mother a maximum of $1,000 per month in child support.
If you want to seek support from your child’s other parent or you are the noncustodial parent and want to establish a relationship with your child, you can file for child support services with the office in your county. The agency will start the process of creating a legal order for child support and collect back payments, as well as find a noncustodial parent and/or help establish paternity.
