Economic Reality

Child support in New Jersey for parties with combined net (after tax) income of less than $187,200 per year ($3,600 per week), are supposed to be determined based upon the Child Support Guidelines.  The Guidelines are based upon economic data of what it costs to raise a child.

indexThat economic data has been reviewed and, as a result, there are proposed changes to the child support guidelines that may actually see the figures going down, especially for multiple children. The Supreme Court has published the proposed changes on the Court’s website.

As noted in the New Jersey Law Journal, the state Supreme Court’s Family Practice Committee is recommending rule revisions that would allow child-support determinations to be based on a broader and more accurate picture of family spending. Specifically, the committee urges adoption of a new award schedule that “for the first time captures spending in families over a twelve year period,” from 2000 through 2011, which “encompasses prosperous years, recession years and the current slow recovery years.”

For sake of reference, at the highest level, the weekly amount of child support to be apportioned between both parents based upon their percentage shares of net income is follows:

No. of Children            1          2          3              4          5          6         

Current                         $453    $606    $658    $733    $806    $877

Proposed                     $571    $589    $731    $803    $884    $973Continue Reading Will New Jersey Child Support Awards Be Going Down?