What is Child Support?

Whether you are going through a divorce or you are unmarried parents, child support is the calculation and agreement of what financial assistance is required to adequately raise children. The Washington State Child Support Guideline is a mathematical formula which takes the net income of both parents and derives their respective share of the child support for the children. There may be reasons for the court to deviate from the schedule such as fluctuating incomes, residential schedules of the children and support obligations for other children. Beyond basic living expenses required to support the children, additional major expenditures must be considered. This includes such things as:

Educational costs

  • Tuition in the case of private school
  • Tutoring
  • School trips or outings
  • Books and ASB fees
  • Summer camps
  • Post-secondary support
    • College or trade school tuition and books
    • Post-secondary living expenses

Extracurricular Activities

  • Sports
  • Dance, gymnastics, karate, riding lessons
  • Costs for uniforms or outfits
  • Travel costs to games, tournaments or other events

Medical costs

  • Health Insurance
  • Uncovered expenses and deductibles
  • Prescriptions
  • Therapy and counseling