Child Support FAQs
NJ Child Support
Frequently Asked Questions
All child support decisions in New Jersey are governed by the Child Support Guidelines. These guidelines were created in order to help family courts to establish, and modify, fair child support awards any time a child’s parents divorce, or have the child without getting married.
The Child Support Guidelines attempt to simulate how much of an intact family’s income would be spent on a child, and then apply those numbers in situations where parents are divorcing or not raising a child as part of the same household. While it is understood by the courts that the expenses of a two-household family will be different from that of a one-household family, NJ child support laws clearly state that children with divorced or unmarried parents should be afforded the same opportunities as a child with parents of similar financial means, but whose parents are married or living in the same household.
Table of Contents
How is Child Support Calculated in New Jersey?
While there are many factors which go into the calculation of child support, the three principal factors which determine child support are:
- Each parent’s income
- How much time each parent spends with the child
- The needs of the child (based on age, talents, special considerations, etc)
To learn more about what goes into the calculation of child support, and gain a rough estimate for what you can expect to pay/receive as part of a potential child support agreement, please view our “How is Child Support Calculated?” page.
What are my options if my co-parent is not paying child support?
Both parents of a child are obligated by New Jersey law to financially support their child until they are emancipated, or turn the age of 19 (with the potential to extend child support until the maximum age of 23).
When a parent is not meeting these obligations, there are several potential options for the parent who is not receiving the expected child support payments.
- Speak to your co-parent to see what can be done, if anything
- File a child support enforcement motion
Critically however, the visitation rights of a parent cannot be denied on the basis that they are not paying child support. While a court may decide to modify the existing visitation agreement if a parent is financially incapable of supporting a child, it is up to the courts to decide, and not within the rights of the custodial parent to deny visitation on the sole basis that support obligations are not being met.
To learn more about these processes, please view our “What if my co-parent is not paying child support?” page.
Contact Our Child Support Attorneys Today
At Jacobs Berger, our attorneys have extensive experience helping families to create fair and accurate child support agreements, modify child support agreements when circumstances change, and secure child support when obligations are not being met in towns across New Jersey and Morris County, including Madison, Randolph, Morristown, Denville, Dover, Florham Park, East Hanover, Morris Plains, and more.
To speak with our legal team today in a comprehensive and confidential consultation regarding your child support agreement, the unique needs, concerns, and situations of you and your family, and how exactly we can help you to resolve whatever kind of child support matter you are facing, please contact us online, or through our Morristown, NJ office at 973-447-3943.
