Child Support – Responsibility for a Child
Regardless if you have been granted child custody or not, the state of California very specifically states that both parents have a legal right to support the raising of a child. This holds true even for parents that do not see a child on a regular basis or parents who have no contact with their children but have been deemed as the biological parent on a birth certificate.
If you are a parent looking to receive child support from an ex-spouse, or a spouse who owes backed child support, you may be facing a lot of legal issues. Even children born out of wed-lock are still eligible to receive support from both biological parents.
There are a few factors that can determine how much a person is liable to pay towards a custodial parent for child support. A judge will factor in your income, divorce proceedings and what living conditions had existed during the time of marriage (if the parent in question were a previous spouse of the custodial parent). Payments may vary depending on the number of children they are supporting as well.
All these payments will cease once the child is 18 years of age and does not necessarily cover particular areas of the child’s life such as college tuition. California has a calculator that helps pre-determine what is owed on the state’s website
(click here to learn more). Other resources that could prove beneficial to you, are as follows:
- Superior Court of California, County of Orange, Child Support Information
- CA.gov Frequently Asked Questions About Child Support
California’s child support guidelines express the following requirements:
- Depending on a parent’s circumstances and station in life, he/she must support his/her children
- Both parents are mutually responsible for the financial well-being of their children
- Each parents income will be evaluated, to determine the level of responsibility the parent should possess when contributing to the child’s financial needs
- Each parent should provide for the financial well-being of his/her children based upon their ability
- The interests of the children are the State of California’s primary concern
- Children should share in the standard of living of both parents
- The parent with primary physical responsibility of the children should contribute a significant portion of his/her resources to support the children
- California child support orders must ensure that the children receive fair, timely and sufficient support reflecting California’s high standard of living costs.
- At The Law Offices of Gary J. Beeler, Esq., we will do everything we can to fight for your best interests and future, while also keeping at the forefront, your children’s needs and livelihood. If you work with us, our firm commits to treating you as an individual and as a parent, not simply as a client. We will offer you our compassion, understanding and care as well as our passionate legal representation.