Ask Carolyn
The most common questions I get asked as a North Carolina family law specialist are the following: What is child support? How do they determine the amount? What is the process of obtaining child support? Should I or should I not petition to receive child support?
Generally, the noncustodial parent will be court ordered to provide child support to the custodial parent. The child support is usually determined by the income of the two parents. Then the court applies the North Carolina Child Support Guidelines and comes to the obligated amount. The judge or your attorney will give a breakdown of how the court came to the amount conclusion on Worksheet A or Worksheet B or Worksheet C.
The amount of provided child support continues until the child is 18 years old or finishes high school, whichever one happens last.
The amount of child support can be challenged at any point in the child’s minority life and by either parent’s circumstance. The Child Support Guidelines allow review every three years upon request.
By: Kam Hardy