How Does Utah Determine Child Support?

Utah law focuses on the best interests of the children when determining the support each parent must pay.  But child support depends on many issues – such as the financial circumstances of each parent, special needs of the children and custody arrangements set in the divorce decree. An experienced Salt Lake City lawyer can ensure the courts consider all factors when making this vital decision.

The child support computation begins with the income of each parent and the number of children. But since each type of custody arrangement affects the expenses of each parent, Utah law weighs child support obligations on the basis of the number of overnight visits the non-custodial parent has with the children. Because of the complexity of calculating child support, you may want to use the Child Support Calculator provided by the Utah State Courts to estimate the child support obligations you can expect for you and your spouse. This page provides links to a number of different calculators based on specific custody arrangements and other parental obligations.

Of course, financial circumstances and needs change over time. A parent can experience reduced or increased income that affects his or her ability to pay child support. Or the children can suffer sudden medical or other situations that change their basic financial needs. Parents should not make informal changes during times like these. Utah divorce law permits either parent to seek modification of child support at any time, though the chances of the modification depend on the circumstances.

The attorneys of Hanks & Peterson, P.C. are here to help. We take a personalized approach to our client issues, and we apply judgment and high ethical standards to every area of our practice. We have the experience needed to help ensure the courts consider all circumstances when computing the child support obligations for both parents.

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