When couples with kids get divorced, courts will usually make the decisions regarding custody and child support. Most often, divorced parents will either have shared joint custody OR one parent will have sole custody and the other parent (the non-custodial parent) will have visitation rights.
When parents share joint custody, the courts will take into account a number of things when deciding who pays child support and how much he/she will pay. This includes how much time the kids spend with each parent and how much money each parent makes. The courts will also consider the number of children and the age of the children, among other things, when determining payment amounts. If parents split time evenly, the parent with the higher annual income will usually be required to pay child support to the other parent.
When one parent has sole custody of the kids, in almost all cases, the non-custodial parent will pay child support to the custodial parent. This support payment is meant to cover a variety of expenses for the kids, including housing, medical insurance and care, food, and clothing. It can also help pay for childcare, extra curricular activities, and even vacations for the kids.
In both custody situations in most states, the court will order a set amount to be paid by the non-custodial parent to the custodial parent each month. That amount of money will usually be withheld directly from the non-custodial parent’s paycheck and electronically transferred to the custodial parent’s bank account.
The monthly payment is meant to cover the basic necessities of the kids… housing, food, medical care, and clothing. Many court orders will set forth guidelines for how parents should share other expenses like soccer uniforms and field trip costs. SupportPay is set up to help both parents keep track of all expenses and payments in an organized manner in one location, which makes tracking and communicating about money super simple!