Child Support Guidelines in Monmouth County

Helping Parents Understand Child Support

To help determine how much someone will pay in child support, New Jersey has created the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines. Our Monmouth County attorneys can help you to understand these guidelines and ensure that you and your former spouse are compliant within them.

Under these guidelines, the amount of child support is based upon the parents' combined weekly gross income. The guidelines also take into account:

• The number of overnights provided to each parent
• Any health insurance premiums paid by each parent
• The cost of work-related child care paid by each parent
• Any state or government benefit provided to the child such as Social Security benefits
• Other child support paid
• If there are additional children
• Alimony either paid or received

If the child is over 12 years of age, the guidelines will be modified upwards of 14.9 percent.

What Does Child Support Cover in NJ?

The rationale behind the guidelines is that basic child support is broken down into three components:

• 38 percent of the award is allocated for fixed expenses such as housing and utilities, incurred even when the child is not residing with the custodial parent.
• 30 percent covers variable costs which include transportation and food.
• 25 percent covers controlled costs for clothing, personal care and entertainment.

One of the benefits of the child support guidelines is that it takes away any dispute regarding the determination of child support. However, these guidelines only apply if the parents' earned income is under $187,200 net after taxes are paid.

In most cases, these child support guidelines usually apply. However, the parents and/or the court have the right to deviate from them when circumstances require.

Is There a Cap on Child Support in NJ?

New Jersey’s child support guidelines only specify a minimum support level for families whose net income is greater than $187,000 with no guidance on a maximum amount.

Want to Know How Child Support in NJ Applies to You? Talk to Us.

If you want to better understand how child support will affect you, talk to us, the Monmouth County lawyers at the Law Office of Steven P. Monaghan, LLC.

Our team of New Jersey attorneys can be reached at (732) 624-6343 if you are ready to schedule your free consultation!