Myths Vs Facts About Child Support

Every day we are helping parents to make the most out of their experience as a divorced parent. Whether it is making sure that child support payments are received on time, assisting the parents to meet child support obligations, or simply finding ways to be a better co-parent, SupportPay has been a part of that process.

Throughout our time helping parents, though, we’ve had to clear up a lot of facts and myths about paying child support. As shocking as it can be, the Internet isn’t always full of honest, fact-checked articles and information! Because there is so much false information out there, we thought we’d take the time to clear up what is and isn’t true. Here are 2 Facts and 2 Myths about child support.

Fact #1 – How much you owe in child support is based on a calculation. 
This is true. There is a formula for each state that takes into account various factors on what a parent will owe the custodial parent, including income, time spent with the child, etc. For a good rundown on how this calculator works, visit our child support calculator.  Just select your state to get started.

Myth #1 – Only one parent is responsible for paying child expenses.
This is an easy one to get wrong. In most cases, yes, one parent will have to shoulder the financial support payments to a parent. However, each parent is responsible for the financial well-being of the child, and each parent must support the child based on their income. Child support calculators take these factors into account, and the final amount owed is determined with this math in mind.

Fact #2 – There are consequences for not paying child expenses, including jail time.
If the courts determine that you have to pay child support, you are then legally required under the law to pay the specific amount. This amount again varies depending on the state and circumstances. If you fail to pay, you are subject to a host of fines and penalties, including wage garnishments, revocation of your driver’s license, and even jail time for failure to meet your legal financial obligations.

Myth #2 – If you don’t have a job, you don’t have to pay alimony.
As seen in fact #2, you are still financially obligated to meet your child support payments. If you lose your job or source of income, payments can be deferred, but they must be cleared by the court. The amount owed can change as well if the time in which you are unemployed remains for an extended period of time. But you can’t get out of paying child support simply because you don’t have a job. If you are looking for a way to meet your obligation, but may not have all the money necessary at once, SupportPay has a partial payments feature which can allow you to schedule your payments in advance, and in increments. This makes sure you are on time, meeting your obligation, and letting your ex know when payments can be expected.