Marcel v. Marcel (Tennessee 2022)
To calculate child support income for a parent with variable income (wages, bonus, overtime), the trial court should consider income over a period of time which will account for the variable income. In this case, the father worked at a plant and his income varied. He earned wages, bonuses, overtime, and double time. To calculate his income for child support, the trial court used his last four paystubs, which didn’t include any of this income. However, the information on the pay stub indicated that this type of income had been received year-to-date. The mother appealed the child support term of the final order.
Read MoreGreen v. Green (Mississippi 2022)
When a parent’s annual adjusted gross income exceeds $100,000, Mississippi statute requires findings as to whether an application of the guidelines is reasonable. The parents, who had two children, filed for divorce. The father’s adjusted gross income exceeded $100,000. To set support, the chancery court followed the Mississippi child support guidelines, which set support for two children at twenty percent of the parent’s adjusted gross income. The mother appealed several terms of the order including the child support calculation. She argued the support amount wasn’t sufficient.
Read MoreMarriage of DePumpo (Colorado 2022)
Unrealized gains on an investment portfolio don’t meet the definition for child support income. However, equitable principles may apply. The definition of income includes income from rent. Depreciation can only be included if it is found to be an ordinary and necessary business expense, as defined in the child support statute. The parties filed for divorce. Specific to child support, the trial court calculated the mother’s income using her monthly salary and included an amount for unrealized monthly gains from an investment account. The trial court included depreciation expenses associated with rental properties in the father’s income. The mother appealed the final order, arguing the incomes were not correct.
Read MoreBritt and Wake County Human Services, Child Support Enf., Intervenor, v. Britt (North Carolina 2022)
A parent must provide the requisite proof in order for business expenses deducted from gross income. The parents filed for divorce. The father was self-employed and owned rental properties. During the trial, the father provided testimony as to his income, bank accounts, deposits into the bank accounts, and current work situation In weighing the evidence to determine the father’s income for child support, the trial court found the father’s testimony evasive and unreliable. The trial court used evidence of monthly deposits into his bank accounts to set his income and calculated support according to the guidelines.
Read MoreHollis v. Hollis (Tennessee 2022)
The definition of income is broad and all-encompassing. A reasonable necessity standard is applied to child support awards when the parents earn more than $10,000 per month. The parents of two special needs children filed for divorce. The husband, a financial advisor, was the primary source of income for the family. His income included a loan from his employer, which was tied to performance goals. The loan was forgiven as he met the goals. As his income exceeded $10,000 per month, the trial court had to consider the reasonable necessity standard when awarding support above the guidelines. In its final order, the trial court found support should be set above the guideline amount in light of the father’s income and the children’s extensive special needs. Both parents appealed the final order.
Read MoreRobinson v. Robinson (Tennessee 2022)
To find a parent voluntarily unemployed, the court must consider the parent’s choices and the reasonableness of the choices considering a parent’s obligation to support the child. The parents filed for divorce. They owned three Subway stores. Pending the final order, the court ordered that the mother would manage the stores and the father was to find another job. The father failed to find a job, so when calculating child support, the trial court imputed income to him that equaled the income for a Subway store manager. The father appealed, arguing the trial court had to first find him voluntarily unemployed before imputing income.
Read MoreHehn v. Johnson (Wyoming 2022)
Even in default child support hearings, the district court has an obligation to determine income for both parents. The mother filed for paternity and support. The father was served, but failed to answer, and the clerk entered default. Both parents appeared at the hearing. The father was awaiting sentencing on a criminal charge, so a temporary order was entered. Upon the father’s release, the mother requested a default hearing. Both parents appeared. The district court took no evidence. The final order granted mother custody, set out visitation, and ordered child support based on the mother’s calculation. The mother appealed.
Read MoreSmith v. Grant (North Carolina 2022)
A child support order can’t be based on speculation. The parents appeared before the court to determine custody and child support for their child. Prior to hearing, the parents agreed on a joint legal custody and a visitation schedule but the trial court determined child support. The final order granted the mother primary physical custody of the child and calculated child support using Worksheet A, which is based on one parent having less than 123 night of visitation per year.
Read MoreMorris v. Morris (North Carolina)
The prohibition against retroactive modifications doesn’t come into play if the child support order is temporary. In 2014, the parents filed for divorce and, in 2015, the court entered a temporary support order for the father to pay support, which it then suspended in a 2016 order. In 2020, the court entered a final order and calculated the father’s child support starting in 2016. The father appealed the final order, arguing the 2016 order suspending support became a permanent order by virtue of its duration and it was error to set support back to 2016.
Read MoreIn re Marriage of Clark (Kansas 2022)
Any modification to a child support order must be court approved. In 2002, the father filed for divorce. The trial court entered a temporary order requiring the father to pay support and maintenance and the mother to pay the mortgage on the marital residence. A divorce decree was entered later in 2002, but it reserved the issues of support and maintenance. In the interim, the father paid the mortgage, but didn’t pay support or maintenance. The mother requested a hearing, which the court denied.
Read MoreIn re Nusz (Kansas 2022)
Evidence must support the determination of a parent’s income. In this divorce action, the mother appealed the child support portion of the divorce decree, arguing no evidence in the record supported the income determinations. The appellate court affirmed, finding no abuse of the district court’s wide discretion in setting income for child support.
Read MoreIn the Matter of the Parentage of N.P. (Kansas 2022)
A parent must move to set aside an order due to inadvertence or excusable neglect must do so within a year. At issue in this case is a child support order entered on September 24, 2018. On February 5, 2020, the father moved to set aside the order claiming mistake or inadvertence. The district court denied the motion. First, a claim of mistake or inadvertence had to be made with one year. The filing was outside this timeframe.
Read MoreIn re Stradtmann (Colorado 2021)
Under Colorado statute, child support can be retroactive to the date of the parent’s separation, the date of the filing of the petition, or the date of service on the responding parent, whichever date is later. The final decree in this divorce case ordered child support retroactive to February 2019, the date of the parent’s separation. The father appealed this provision arguing this date didn’t comply with the statutory requirements.
Read MoreBailey v. Bailey (Nebraska 2021)
A court may require security for child support payments if compelling circumstances exist. In this divorce action, the final decree ordered the father to secure his child support obligation with a life insurance policy and divided childcare expenses between the parents in order for the mother to maintain her job or pursue a higher education. The father appealed these provisions.
Read MoreMarriage of Evans (Colorado 2021)
A property division can be re-opened upon the discovery of an undisclosed asset. Child support will be recalculated to reflect any change in a parent’s income from the new asset. In this post-divorce action, the mother petitioned to reopen the parents’ original property division. She found an undisclosed asset, the father’s ownership of a business. The magistrate agreed, allocated the asset, and modified the child support order based on additional income from the business. The father appealed, first to the district court, which affirmed, and then to the appellate court.
Read MoreVanderveer v. Vanderveer (Nebraska 2021)
The definition of income for child support is purposefully broad. All income, unless specifically excluded, counts as long as it is regularly received for the foreseeable future. The parents, who had two children, filed for divorce. The father’s income consisted of a base salary, an annual bonus, and the proceeds from stock shares. He received stock shares from his employer annually. The shares vested in the future, and as they vested, the father cashed them and used them for household expenses. In the division of marital property, the trial court divided the stock grants received during the marriage that were not yet vested. The trial court excluded any stock proceeds from the father’s income for child support. The mother and father both appealed the final decree.
Read MoreToro v. Toro (Nebraska 2021)
A trial court’s determination of income won’t be disturbed on appeal without a clear abuse of discretion. The parents filed for divorce. They had two children. The court had to calculate the father’s net monthly income for support. He worked construction and took side jobs for cash. He submitted his income tax returns for the last three years. The trial court used his 2019 tax return to calculate his monthly income and found the father has an earning capacity of $60,000. The father appealed, arguing the court should have averaged his income for the past three years.
Read MoreJefferson v. Jefferson (Mississippi 2021)
Nontaxable federal payments for military members such as basic allowable housing (BAH), basic allowable subsistence (BAS), cost of living and a clothing allowance are income for child support. The parents filed for divorce. The father was a military member and received benefits on top of his regular salary including BAS, BAH, cost-of-living allowance, and clothing allowance. The father appealed, arguing these benefits should not be counted as income.
Read MoreO’Roake v. State of Wyoming, ex rel. Dept’ Family Svcs. (Wyoming 2021)
Child support can continue beyond the age of majority if a child is mentally or physically disabled and incapable of self-support. The Department of Family Services filed extend support for a child beyond the age of the child’s majority due to the child’s diagnosis of a metabolic disorder. The court commissioner recommended modifying support, and the district approved the recommendation. The order continued support so long as the child was enrolled as a full-time college student. The father appealed.
Read MorePace v. Pace (Mississippi 2021)
If a parent’s earnings are reduced through the parent’s own actions, the court may use earning capacity to determine income for child support. The parents filed for divorce. The father, a doctor, had a substance abuse problem. To keep his medical license, he had to undergo treatment and consent to monitoring. Instead, he surrendered his medical license. During the trial, he claimed he couldn’t afford the monitoring program. The chancellor used his earning capacity to set child support in the final order. The father appealed.
Read MoreDavis v. Henderson (Mississippi 2020)
A child’s clear and extreme actions may be grounds to end child support. As part of ongoing post-divorce litigation, the father filed a motion to terminate his child support obligation to his oldest child, who refused to have contact with him. In the final order, the chancery court granted the request. The mother appealed the termination of support.
Read MoreCraven County v. Hageb (North Carolina 2021)
Specific findings must support a court’s decisions in a child support proceeding. In this proceeding to establish paternity and support for two children, the father was self-employed. The final order set out his income and including these findings: the court reviewed tax returns, his income from a gaming and lottery business was not included in the calculation, and he had significant personal expenses on his tax return. In the final support award, the court gave the father credit for one of two additional children living with him, finding his name was only on the birth certificate for one child. The father appealed.
Read MoreLemus v. Martinez (Wyoming 2021)
A parent must provide proper proof of a legitimate business expense if the parent wants credit in the child support calculation. The father appealed several terms of the district court order, specifically the court’s decision not to give him credit for mortgage interest in his income for child support. The Supreme Court affirmed the child support order.
Read MoreCarman v. Harris (Kansas 2021)
A child support order can provide for payment of prenatal and birth expenses if the request is made timely. The 2015 initial paternity order contained no provision for the mother’s prenatal medical care or birth expenses. Mother made no attempt to recover these costs until 2016 when she filed a request for the expenses and to modify support. The trial court denied her request and the mother appealed.
Read MoreCousin v. Cousin (North Carolina 2021)
A court can use a parent’s prior income to calculate gross monthly income but findings must support the decision. This case came before the district court in early 2018. During the trial, the father testified as to his income so far 2018. Evidence showed his income for 2016 and 2017 and bonuses received during both years. The father testified he had yet to receive a bonus in 2018 and didn’t know if he would. To calculate the father’s income for child support, the district court used his 2017 income and added in an amount to cover a bonus. This meant the parties’ combined adjusted gross income was above the upper limit for the child support guidelines.
Read MoreEicke v. Eicke (Nebraska 2021)
Parents must be making a retirement deduction in order to receive credit in their adjusted gross income. In this divorce action, to calculate income for child support, the district court deducted a retirement contribution from both parents’ incomes even though neither parent was contributing. The district court also credited mother for the entire health insurance premium. She carried five people on the policy, including the parties’ three children, and the cost was the same regardless of the number of children. The final order awarded sole physical custody of the children to the mother and ordered father to pay support. The father appealed the final order.
Read MoreLageman v. Lageman (Mississippi 2021)
When a parent’s annual adjusted gross income exceeds $100,000, a court must make findings as to whether the application of the guidelines is reasonable. The final decree of divorce ordered the father to pay support in the amount equaled to twenty percent of his adjusted gross income. The father appealed arguing the amount was higher than the children’s expenses.
Read MoreBruce v. Bruce (Wyoming 2021)
The trial court’s child support order will not be disturbed absent an abuse of discretion. The parents divorced. The final decree ordered the father pay child support for the child and half of the travel expenses. The father appealed the order arguing the court should have attributed a higher income to the mother, erred in awarding retroactive support and in denying a deviation for travel expenses.
Read MoreState ex rel. Moody v. Roker (Tennessee 2021)
A ruling in a final order must be supported by findings of fact and conclusions of law. The mother, a Georgia resident, used the child support program to establish paternity and support pursuant to the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act. The father was incarcerated in Tennessee. The father filed numerous pretrial motions. Significant to this appeal, he filed a motion to participate in the hearing and for transportation. The trial court held a hearing, which was attended by the child support attorney.
Read MoreLillard v. Lillard (Tennessee 2021)
Child support can continue for beyond the age of 21 for children who are severely disabled; living under parental supervision, which is in the child’s best interests; and the obligor has the financial ability to pay support. The mother petitioned the court to modify child support and declare the child severely disabled. At hearing, the mother testified as to the daughter’s IQ, diagnosis, and her inability to live independently. The daughter hadn’t been able to hold a job, relied on the mother for transportation, and couldn’t manage money. She feared other people and couldn’t remember to perform basic personal care. The father cited her graduation from high school, ability to perform basic household tasks, and competition of a certificate program as reasons to stop support. The district court granted the mother’s motion and set support.
Read MoreJulie C.W. v. Frank Mitchell W. Jr. (Tennessee 2021)
The trial court has discretion over deviations from presumptive child support. In this divorce proceeding, there was a large income disparity. The father was an extremely high earner. The mother requested an upward deviation in child support. The final decree set support at the presumptive amount and ordered the mother to pay 10 percent of the uncovered medical. The decree acknowledged the father’s agreement to pay for the children’s private school tuition and up to $600 per month for extracurricular activities. The mother appealed.
Read MoreSears v. Sears (Wyoming 2021)
An award of retroactive support is subject to the court’s discretion. The parents filed for divorce, and the district court didn’t order child support during the pending action. The parents agreed to a custody arrangement during the pendency of the action. In the order accepting the arrangement, the court didn’t order support and noted the parents were sharing custody and splitting uncovered medical expenses. The father was also paying the children’s health insurance. The final divorce decree ordered the father to pay support going forward but didn’t award retroactive support. The mother appealed.
Read MoreBaker v. Baker (Tennessee 2021)
The definition of income for child support doesn’t include alimony paid to a party in the proceeding. Military retired pay is marital property, subject to property distribution and is not income for child support. The parents in this case, who had two children, divorced. The father was active military but had plans to retire. In the final decree, the district court ordered the father to pay alimony until his retirement, at which time the mother would receive her share of the father’ s military retirement directly. The district court didn’t credit the father for either of these payments as part of his income for child support. The father appealed the final divorce decree arguing that the trial court should have credited him for the alimony, the retirement benefits, and health insurance premium.
Read MoreIn re the Parental Responsibilities Concerning M.E.R. and D.E.R.-L (Colorado 2020)
The Uniformed Services Former Spouses’ Protection Act (USFSPA) does not prohibit the inclusion of a parent’s veteran’s disability benefits as income for child support. The father filed a proceeding to allocate parental responsibilities for his two children. With respect to child support, the father’s income consisted of military retirement and veteran’s benefits. The trial court included both sources in the father’s gross income and set child support. The father appealed, arguing the veteran’s benefits shouldn’t haven’t been included in his income because the veteran’s disability benefits are not insurance benefits, aren’t taxable, and federal law prohibits the inclusion.
Read MoreGandara-Moore v. Moore (Nebraska 2020)
A court may use a parent’s earning capacity instead of actual income to determine child support when a parent voluntarily leaves a job. The parents filed for divorce. The trial court used mother’s earning capacity to calculate support instead of her actual income. Her actual income source was unemployment benefits. The mother appealed the child support calculation as well as other provisions of the final decree.
Read MoreKelly v. Kelly (Nebraska 2020)
Parents may be responsible for reasonable and necessary expenses on top of the monthly child support award. The final divorce decree ordered the father to pay monthly support and a percentage of the children’s private school tuition, extracurricular activities, and other miscellaneous expenses like school lunch and clothing. The father appealed.
Read MoreMarquis v. Marquis (Wyoming 2020)
Evidence must support a parent’s request to exclude business expenses from net income. The parent seeking to deduct the business expense has the burden of proof. The father filed to modify custody, visitation, and support, and the mother responded with a petition to modify support. The parents settled all matters except support. They agreed to…
Read MoreHenson v. Carosella (Nebraska 2020)
Child support should be based on parent’s current earnings. The father appealed the child support provision of the final divorce decree. He argued the court’s determination of his income ignored evidence of his actual earnings. The father, an apprentice steamfitter, was about to be qualified as a journeyman. He worked more than 40 hours per…
Read MoreSekik v. Abdelnabi (Tennessee 2020)
When evidence supports the determination of a parent’s income, it will not be overturned as an abuse of discretion. In this divorce case, the trial court initially set support in a temporary parenting plan entered in 2012. At the time, the parents had four minor children. In the final decree, entered in 2019, the trial…
Read MoreBaumann v. Baumann (Mississippi 2020)
A parent must plead for child support. This puts the other parent on notice of the support claim. In this case, the final divorce decree ordered the father to pay back child support starting January 2015. The father filed a motion for new trial or, alternatively to amend the judgment with respect to the back…
Read MoreIn re Marriage of Poggi (Kansas 2020)
A district court’s decision has the discretion to apply the extended income formula for child support and findings are not required. In this high-income case, there were three child support orders: temporary, final judgement, and in a post-trial memorandum order. In the final judgment, the district court calculated support using the extended income formula and…
Read MoreKnipper v. Enfinger (Tennessee 2020)
When ordering retroactive support, a trial court can deviate from the presumptive support amount but must make the statutorily required findings to support the deviation. The mother appealed a trial court order that denied her request for support retroactive to the child’s birth. The appellate court reversed the trial court’s order and remanded for additional…
Read MoreState on behalf of Elijah K. v. Marceline K. (Nebraska 2020)
When a paternity action is brought by the state on behalf of a child, retroactive support can go back to the birth of the child. The right to retroactive support belongs to the child. The mother appealed an order of the district court setting current child support but denying her request for support retroactive to…
Read MoreMadrigal v. Madrigal (Kansas 2020)
The decision to apply the extended income formula is discretionary. A district court entered an order increasing the father’s child support obligation and ordering sanctions against him for failing to disclose a material increase in his income. The district court applied the extended income formula to determine support. The father appealed arguing the order lacked…
Read MoreGriffin v. Griffin (Tennessee 2020)
The trial court’s determination of child support will be reviewed for an abuse of discretion. The father appealed a decree of divorce awarding primary custody of the children to the mother, dividing the marital estate, and calculating support. Specific to support, the father argued the trial court didn’t calculate each parent’s income correctly. The appellate…
Read MoreIn Interest of EQ and JQ (Colorado 2020)
Only one court can set child support. The parents had two separate legal proceedings going on at the same time – one in juvenile court and a domestic relations proceeding. The juvenile court entered an order accepting the parents parenting responsibility agreement. Part of the stipulation was an agreement that child support would be addressed…
Read MoreFoy v. Kite (North Carolina 2020)
In a child support case, if the record clearly supports the income calculation, an appellate court will not disturb the trial court’s determination. An order for retroactive child support must include findings as to the reasonableness of the expenses for which reimbursement is sought. The mother and father, who were not married, had one child.…
Read MoreIsrael v. Israel (North Carolina 2020)
Food stamps, or electronic food and nutrition benefits, are not income for child support purposes. The parents in this case divorced, and the father was ordered to pay support for their six children. The parents filed competing motions for contempt and to modify child support. The court modified support. The father appealed. He argued the…
Read MoreLasu v. Lasu (Nebraska 2020)
A documented travel expense may qualify as a deviation from presumptive child support if it is in the child’s best interests. In this divorce case, the court awarded the mother primary physical custody of the child. The mother lived Nebraska, and the father in California. The district court calculated support and deviated from presumptive support…
Read MoreIn re Goodpasture (Kansas 2020)
The trial court doesn’t necessarily lose jurisdiction to enforce a child support order when one parent moves from the state. The parents divorced, and the divorce decree ordered the father to pay support for their three children. The mother assigned her right to child support to the Kansas Department of Children and Families in 2018.…
Read MoreIn re Ray (Kansas 2020)
The right to appeal is statutory, and without a basis for the appeal, it will be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. The mother and father filed for divorce. A temporary order set child support. Various proceedings ensued around custody for the child. The mother filed to modify the temporary support order, which was denied, and…
Read MoreWilliamson v. Williamson (Mississippi 2020)
Chancellors have discretion on the determination of adjusted gross income (AGI) for child support. As long as there is no abuse of that discretion, the child support determination will not be overturned on appeal. The father appealed the final divorce order arguing the chancery court improperly calculated his AGI. The court of appeals upheld the…
Read MoreKleoudis 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…
Read MoreBornhorst v. Bornhorst (Nebraska 2020)
Distributions to corporate shareholders intended to cover tax liability are not necessarily income for child support purposes. The parents filed for divorce. The mother worked for her family’s construction company. To determine her income for child support, the court used the wages reported on her W-2 form but didn’t include other distributions she received as…
Read MoreEdwards v. Edwards (Wyoming)
A trial court has wide discretion to determine a parent’s status as voluntarily underemployed. Absent an abuse of discretion, the decision won’t be overturned on appeal. The parents filed for divorce. They had four children. During their marriage, they owned a lawn care business. After their separation, the father closed the business and took a…
Read MoreWright v. Wright (Tennessee 2020)
When imputing income to parents, the court can consider factors including education and the reason for any change in employment. The parents filed for divorce. They had one child. The father had a history of high paying jobs, but was working as a part-time consultant at the time of the trial. The court imputed an…
Read MoreJohnson v. Johnson (Wyoming 2020)
Overtime income can’t be considered as part of gross income unless it was earned in the statutory timeframe and is reasonably expected to continue. The mother and father divorced. They had four children. During the 2018 trial, the mother argued the father was voluntarily underemployed. While the parents were married the father regularly worked overtime,…
Read MoreMorris v. Powell (North Carolina 2020)
Child support does not end until a child is legally emancipated. A seventeen-year-old child moved out of his mother’s home, and the father stopped paying support. The mother filed a petition for contempt and for a judgment on the arrears. The father filed to terminate support as of the date the child moved out, arguing…
Read MoreMarriage of Weekes (Colorado 2020)
Statutes operate prospectively unless the language indicates otherwise. A law is unconstitutionally retrospective if it infringes on a vested right. The father filed to modify his child support based on a physical change of custody that happened without a court order. Current Colorado law limits retroactive modification of child support to the five years prior…
Read MoreBerens v. Berens (North Carolina 2020)
A court doesn’t abuse its discretion in imputing income to a parent as long as evidence supports the determination. The mother and the father filed for divorce. After several years, the trial court entered an order a final decree, which set support for three children. Both parents appealed the child support provisions. The mother argued…
Read MoreDonahoe v. Donahoe (Nebraska 2020)
For self-employed parents, certain expenses may be treated as income for child support. The parents filed for divorce. The father is the sole owner of a business, which is organized as an S-Corporation. For 2016, he reported compensation on his personal tax return, not as a salary on his business return. This meant he wouldn’t…
Read MoreDescher v. Descher (Mississippi 2020)
For parents with high incomes, the child support guidelines allow for a deviation when applying the guidelines isn’t reasonable. The parents filed for divorce. The father owned and/or co-owned businesses that earned millions of dollars in revenue each year. The chancery court determined his monthly adjusted gross income to be $71,377.00. The mother worked for…
Read MoreBryant v. Bryant (Nebraska 2020)
A district court has discretion to when figuring income for a parent who is employed less than full time as long as the evidence supports the calculation. If a parent offers evidence of an obligation to support additional children, it should be at least considered. The mother filed for divorce. The mother and father had…
Read MoreClark v. Clark (Nebraska 2020)
The trial court has discretion over when to make a child support obligation retroactive. The mother and father filed for divorce and entered into an agreement that resolved all issues. For child support, the parents agreed that the mother would receive the tax dependency exception for three years straight instead of retroactive support. The mother…
Read MoreKillinger v. Killinger (Nebraska 2019)
When a parent has a variable income, it is appropriate to use a three-year average to set child support. The father and mother, who had three children, filed for divorce. The father owned his own business, and his income fluctuated from yearly. At trial, he presented evidence of his income from the previous seven years.…
Read MorePoole v. Kinslow (Tennessee 2019)
If a court finds a parent voluntarily underemployed, it may use the parent’s earning capacity to calculate child support. In this divorce action, the trial court calculated support using the father’s earning capacity. He was self-employed at the time of trial, but he had earned no income. The father appealed. The court of appeals affirmed.
Read MoreFireoved v. Fireoved (Kansas 2019)
The application of the multi-family credit is discretionary. When calculating support, the costs of the child’s health insurance and reasonable costs of child care are added to the gross child support obligation. The district court has discretion to determine the reasonableness. The mother had primary residential custody of the parties’ child. She notified the father…
Read MoreIn re N.J.C. (Colorado 2019)
Deferred compensation isn’t income for child support when a parent doesn’t have the ability to use the money to pay expenses. The mother and father were unmarried and had a child. The father, a doctor, took a new job, and the mother filed to modify child support. The father’s income consisted of a base salary…
Read MoreIn re Thrailkill (Kansas 2019)
Military retirement benefits are income for child support. The mother filed for divorce. Both parents were retired military. The father was career military and was currently receiving retirement and disability benefits. The mother hadn’t served as long, so she wasn’t eligible for her retirement pay until age 60. The district court equally divided the retirement…
Read MoreIn re Moler (Kansas 2019)
A Kansas Court didn’t have jurisdiction to modify the definition of income contained in a settlement agreement. The father was a high earner. When the parents divorced, they agreed to a base amount of child support, calculated pursuant to the guidelines, plus a supplemental amount if the father earned over $275,000. For the supplemental support…
Read MoreFichtel v. Zirwas (Tennessee 2019)
A bonus payment, structured to benefit a business, may not be income for child support. Depreciation is not necessarily deductible for child support income. The mother, a doctor, filed a petition to relocate the children to Ohio. She had remarried and taken a job with a much lower income. The trial court denied her petition…
Read MoreRiegl v. Lemond (Nebraska 2019)
The Nebraska Child Support Guidelines allow a court to consider a parent’s earning capacity when setting income for child support. The parents filed for divorce. The father, a union electrician, was ordered to pay temporary support. The court set the amount based on the father’s self-reported hourly wage. At the divorce trial, the court heard…
Read MoreDooling v. Dooling (Nebraska 2019)
This appeal addresses a case where the district court made multiple errors in calculating child support. The parents filed for divorce, and the district court set child support for their three children. The father appealed the order, making various arguments about the child support calculation. The mother cross-appealed, arguing the court failed to address the…
Read MoreMarriage of Alvis (Colorado 2019)
The child support guidelines account for the first $250 of unreimbursed medical expenses. Neither party can be ordered to pay this amount. The parents’ divorce decree ordered shared custody of three children and set support accordingly. Under the guideline calculation, the father paid his share to the mother. A few years later, the father filed…
Read MoreState v. Jarvel (Nebraska 2019)
A nonsupporting party is the necessary party in a proceeding for child and medical support. A parent who appears at a hearing waives a claim to defective service. The state of Nebraska filed a complaint against the father to establish paternity and support. At the initial hearing, the father requested a continuance. He then failed…
Read MoreThomas v. Thomas (Mississippi 2019)
A parent is entitled to credit against monthly child support for Social Security benefits paid to a child because of a parent’s disability. The parent is also entitled to credit against arrears for a lump sum received after the arrears have accrued. The mother and father filed for divorce. To calculate support, the court determined…
Read MoreScot v. Scot (Tennessee 2019)
Income for a modification of child support must be based on a parent’s most recent actual income. A father filed to change custody and modify child support accordingly. During the hearing, he testified as to his earnings in 2017 and to what he might earn in 2018. The court calculated child support using his prospective…
Read MoreIn re Makinna B. (Tennessee 2019)
A parent must provide evidence of the cost of work-related childcare in order to get credit for it in a child support calculation. The mother and father had one child, and the mother was the primary residential parent. A few months after entry of the initial order, the father filed for modification, requesting custody of…
Read MoreMSC v. MCG (Wyoming 2019)
The argument contained in a motion should support the requested relief. The father filed a “Motion for Relief from a Child Support Order.” He requested relief from an income withholding order, but the body of his motion asked the court to set aside the underlying support order. The father argued the Wyoming Child Support Guidelines…
Read MoreLemus v. Martinez (Wyoming 2019)
Sufficient information must support a determination of income. The parents were never married. They had two children. The parents separated, and the father filed for custody and support. Prior to hearing, the father filed an incomplete financial affidavit and two partial personal tax returns. Testimony during the hearing showed he had wages from a job…
Read MoreIn re Interest of Cayden R. (Nebraska 2019)
Having children in foster care is not a rebuttable presumption under the child support guidelines. A statute allows for minimum support in low income cases. A juvenile court support order required the mother to pay $50 per month child support while her five children were in foster care. Guideline support was $0, but the referee…
Read MoreIn re Aragon (Colorado 2019)
A worker’s compensation lump sum is income for child support. To factor the lump sum into the parent’s income, divide the lump sum payment by the number of weeks the parent didn’t work. The parents, who have five children, filed for divorce. The father received a lump sum workers’ compensation payment due to a work-related…
Read MoreThomas v. Burgett (North Carolina 2019)
Rent payments are income for child support, but the parent may deduct insurance and property tax attributable to the rental property. The court must complete a four-step analysis before deviating from the guidelines. The parents filed for divorce. They had one child. At the time of divorce, the father was retired and received social security.…
Read MoreOrange County, ex rel., Lacy v. Canup (North Carolina 2019)
The definition of income may include the value of rent when a parent is living rent-free. The parents were not married and had one child. The father acknowledged paternity when the child was born. The child support agency filed an application for order to show case as to why a support order should not be…
Read MoreRosberg v. Rosberg (Nebraska 2019)
Under certain circumstances, a court may analyze a parent’s historical earnings and ability to support a family to set income for child supoprt. The parents in this case filed for divorce. The parents had six children together, in addition to children from other relationships. The father owned Rosberg Farms, but had also been incarcerated in…
Read MoreGunter v. Gunter (Mississippi 2019)
Courts may depart from the child support guideline amount but must make specific findings to support the departure. The final decree of divorce in this case ordered the father to pay guideline child support, plus half of the children’s private school tuition, daycare expenses, and unreimbursed medical costs. The father appealed, arguing this was an…
Read MoreStockdale v. Rehal (Nebraska 2019)
A district court has discretion to retroactively adjust a temporary child support obligation. The never-married parents in this case separated, and a temporary child support obligation was established. For the final order, the court set the father’s income at an amount higher than the amount used for the temporary order, which increased the amount of…
Read MoreIn re ACH (Colorado 2019)
An established psychological parent, who has sought and obtained an allocation of parental responsibilities, can be ordered to pay child support. In this case, the mother had a child from a previous relationship. The mother and father had their own child. The mother and father separated and shared equal parenting time with both children. In…
Read MoreVandenbook v. Vandenbrook (Mississippi 2019)
If a parent’s adjusted gross income exceeds $100,000, the court must make findings to support applying the guidelines. The father appealed the award of child support in the final divorce decree. The father earned more than $100,000 annually through a combination of salary, bonuses, and the exercise of stock options. To determine his adjusted gross…
Read MoreWatauga County v. Shell (North Carolina 2019)
A child support action doesn’t need to be stayed pending an appeal in a custody case. The mother and father were parties to a child custody case filed by their children’s paternal grandparents in Watauga County, North Carolina. While the final order from the custody case was on appeal, the Avery County child support program…
Read MoreState of Nebraska on behalf of Walter E. v. Mark E. (Nebraska 2019)
The existence of a juvenile court child support order divests the district court of jurisdiction to enter a second order. The State of Nebraska filed a petition in juvenile court for custody and placement of a child. The decree ordered the State to pay for all placement costs not covered by the parents’ insurance. The…
Read MoreBreining-Pruitt v. Westfahl (Nebraska 2019)
When calculating income for child support, a parent’s earning capacity can be used instead of their actual income. Earning capacity is determined from work history, education, occupational skills, and job opportunities. The father appealed a district court order which set child support. He argued the district court didn’t properly calculate the mother’s income. Testimony showed…
Read MoreWilliams v. Williams (Mississippi 2019)
The Court may impute income to a parent for child support purposes when the parent’s reported income is clearly inadequate to support his or her lifestyle. In this case, the parents filed for divorce in 2013. The parents had three children, but only one was still a minor. With regards to child support, the mother…
Read MorePeterson v. Peterson (Nebraska 2018)
Alimony shouldn’t be counted as income for child support during initial establishment. The district court entered a final divorce decree, which established child support and alimony. The father requested a new trial. The district court considered his arguments, one of which was to include the alimony award as part of the mother’s monthly income for…
Read MoreMartin v. Hart (Wyoming 2018)
A child support order must state the amount of presumptive support. If the court deviates from the presumptive amount, it must give specific reasons. The father filed to establish paternity, custody, and visitation of the child. In the final order, the court stated it was deviating from presumptive support without giving a presumptive amount. The…
Read MorePettersen v. Pettersen (Mississippi 2018)
The court has discretion to set support for the time period before a divorce is filed. If support is set, it can only go back to one year before the filing of the action. The parents in this case filed for divorce. They had three children, two of whom were emancipated, and one who was…
Read MoreGordon v. Gordon (Tennessee 2018)
Deviations from presumptive child support must be supported by specific reasons. In this case, the parents agreed to an upward deviation in child support in the initial support order. The deviation was for “the needs of the family, equity of the parties, and best interest of the minor children.” Later, the mother filed a petition…
Read MoreCrews v. Paysour (North Carolina 2018)
On remand, a trial court may consider new evidence in a child support hearing. If it doesn’t, the findings of fact and conclusions of law in the order must be based on the existing record. The appellate court remanded the initial order in this case for further findings. During the hearing on remand, the trial…
Read MoreIn re Marriage of Dean (Kansas 2018)
Courts must follow the definition of income found in the guidelines. The mother appealed the district court’s calculation of the father’s gross income. The district court subtracted the amounts the father was paying towards mortgages from his gross monthly income. The Appellate Court reversed the decision. The definition of income is purposefully broad, and the…
Read MoreAnderson v. Anderson (Nebraska 2018)
Courts have some flexibility in determining income for child support purposes. The father appealed the court’s determination of his monthly income for child support. The father owned a lawn care business. He testified that he cashed checks and received cash for services that he did not deposit in his bank account. He also testified that…
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