Regardless of your marital status, your child should receive support from both parents. Child support payments are a means of support for your child until they are a legal adult. If you are going through a divorce, you may have questions regarding the calculation of child support payments.
Keep in mind that although the courts will establish an initial support amount, that amount could change due to mitigating circumstances. If the other parent loses their job, for example, they may request a reduction or temporary stay of child support payments.
Factors determining child support payments
The Indiana General Assembly’s website mentions that the court may order child support payments from either one or both parents. Additionally, marital misconduct will not influence the amount of child support. The following factors are what the court takes into consideration when determining payments.
- The income of the custodial parent
- The income of the noncustodial parent
- What standard of living the child would have had without your divorce
- The mental and physical condition of the child
- The educational needs of the child
- What the child’s life would look like if the parents were to stay married
Factors determining the length of child support payments
How long you will receive child support payments depends on several factors as well, one of which being the state where you reside. In Indiana, your ex must pay child support until one of the following conditions occurs.
- Your child turns 19
- Your child gets married
- Your child is no longer under your care
- Your child is on active duty via the military
- Your child passes away
Failure to pay child support may result in the noncustodial parent receiving fines or jail time.
