Kleoudis v. Kleoudis (North Carolina 2020)

For parents with incomes above the guidelines, child support will be determined on a case-by-case basis. The child support amount should be based on the amount of support necessary to meet the child’s reasonable needs in light of the parents’ estates, earnings, and standard of living. In this divorce case, the parents had incomes above the North Carolina child support guidelines. To set support, the trial court took into account each parent’s after-tax income, the position in which the property settlement left each parent, and each parent’s expenses. The father appealed the child support determination. The appellate court affirmed. On appeal, the father argued the trial court’s findings were insufficient as to the assets in each parent’s estate, child’s expenses, and the standard of living. The appellate court found no merit in any of his arguments. It found the trial court’s findings were adequate and supported by the evidence presented at trial.