How Income Factors Into Child Support Payments

Kansas parents who get divorced may be required to pay child support to their spouse. The amount of a child support payment will be partially based on a parent’s income. A judge will usually include salary, interest income and any distributions received from an employer or from a business that the parent owns. Other forms of income that may be used to determine a child support payment include deferred or carried interest as well as any bonuses received.

A judge will be able to look deeper into a parent’s financial records to determine the extent of his or her resources. The goal is to make sure that the children maintain as close to the same lifestyle after the divorce as they did while their parents were married. It is also important to note that a child support payment could be based on what a parent should be earning as opposed to what he or she actually earns.

For instance, a parent who used to be an executive but now works in retail may be ordered to pay support based on the salary of an executive. Parents who are concerned about their ability to make payments in the future should ask for the right to modify an order in the future. Their concerns may also be addressed when negotiating the divorce settlement.

After a divorce, it isn’t uncommon for a spouse to receive both child support and alimony. However, it is important to note that child support is for the child only. If a parent uses these payments for their own benefit, it may be possible for the noncustodial parent to have a child support order modified. It may also be possible to use that as grounds to have a custody order modified.