North Carolina Child Support Law
The Child Support Law
Child Support in North Carolina is defined as funds provided by one parent to the other for the support of minor children. The amount of child support is determined by a calculation set up by the North Carolina General Assembly.
This calculation is designed to ensure that the child is:
- Supported by the wealth of each parent
- Based upon the income they earn
- The expenses are shared by each parent
Need Help with Your Child Support Case?
Our Raleigh Child Support Attorneys have over been handling North Carolina child support cases for over twenty years, and can easily assist you with making an initial child support calculation.
How to Calculate Child Support in Raleigh
In order to calculate a North Carolina Child Support amount, you will first need to determine the appropriate North Carolina Child Support worksheet to use.
The options include:
Sole Custody which is called worksheet A
- Sole custody child support worksheets are used when one party has the children the majority of the year, and the other parent has the children less 123 days per year.
Joint Custody which is called Worksheet B
- Joint Custody or child support worksheet B is used when each parent has the children for at least 123 overnights per years.
Shared Custody which is called worksheet C
- North Carolina Child Support Worksheet C is used when the custodial schedules for difference children of the same parents differ, such as when the custody of children are split with one parent having primary physical custody of one child and the other parent having primary physical custody of the other child.
Determining Accurate Child Support
Once you have determined which child support worksheet to use according to North Carolina Divorce Law, each party’s monthly income from all sources is calculated and inserted into the appropriate child support worksheet. Other important information is calculated and included including but not limited to:
- The number of overnight visits the child has with that parent
- Health insurance costs
- Daycare costs
- Responsibility for other children
- Extraordinary expenses and other information and expenses which may be allowable under North Carolina Child Support Law
Misconceptions about North Carolina Child Support Law
The Raleigh Divorce Lawyers at The Doyle Law Group, P.A. Law Firm always advise clients immediately about a common misconception about child support in joint custody (50-50 custody schedules). Joint, or 50-50 custody does not mean that there will be no child support awarded. The larger issues driving the outcome are the incomes of the parties and expenses of the child, and the North Carolina Child Support Calculator insures that the children will benefit from both party's income wherever the child is residing.
Determining the Correct Child Support Amount
The only way to establish a reasonably accurate child support amount is to perform a North Carolina Child Support Calculation knowing the appropriate figures to include. The difficulties in North Carolina Child Support Cases often involve determining a party's true income, (difficult in small business's or people paid in cash) and knowing which expenses are allowed under North Carolina Divorce Law and which are not.
Calculate Your Child Support Estimation
If you would like to attempt to calculate support please use the North Carolina Child Support Calculator here. This is not necessarily the amount that a court would award as the figures used in the calculation would be determined by the Court and a Court may under certain circumstances, deviate from the amounts set in the North Carolina Child Support Guidelines.
It is highly beneficial to consult with an experienced Raleigh Divorce Lawyer or an experienced Family Law Attorney practicing in a North Carolina Divorce law firm in your jurisdiction.
Contact Us to Learn More About Child Support Laws in NC
Please feel free to call us at (919) 301-8843 with any questions you may have or you may use our Contact Us Form and one of our Raleigh Child Support Lawyers will be in contact with you shortly.