Court Imputation of Income is Too Low for Child Support

child support appealDo you disagree with the way your child support award was calculated? In the recent, unpublished case of Marino v. Marino, the New Jersey Appellate Court sided with a father who did not agree with the lower court’s imputation of only $9,366 per year for his wife’s income. Mr. and Ms. Marino were divorced in 2009 and had one child, aged seventeen at the time of this case. Ms. Marino asked the court for permission to move with the child to Delaware in August 2010 and during that case, she told the court one of the reasons for the relocation was a job offer that would pay her more than the approximately $43,000 job she had in New Jersey. Read more

Future Proofing Your Child Support Arrangements

future proofing child supportIn case you haven’t heard, there is a new phenomenon sweeping the globe called “future proofing” your children. It is a sort of movement started by author and speaker, Nikki Bush, in her popular book, Future-Proof Your Child. The focus of the book is coming to an understanding, as parents, or really as any type of care giver to a child, of the future. What types of jobs will be available for children twenty years from now? What types of education will be most valuable? What about technology and its role down the line?

While it is, of course, important to prepare children for their futures as best we can, is there a way to prepare ourselves for the financial support of our kids, until they are finally able to leave the nest and support themselves? Separated parents face a complicated situation where both of them are financially responsible for the care and well-being of their child. This is complicated because each parent is also supporting their own separate household, which was not an issue when still living together. Salaries may remain but costs have increased, sometimes, dramatically.

So, how can you “future proof” your child support arrangement with your ex? Read more

Child Support in the US and Australia: What’s Different Down Under?

child support in the US vs AustraliaIn a recent article on theconversation.com, the child support system in Australia was examined. How is child support different “down under”? While the United States and Australia may be geographically distant, the complaints regarding the Aussie system ring familiar here in the US. Read more

Arrested for Not Paying Your Child Support: Are You At Risk?

enforcing unpaid child supportIn a recent NorthJersey.com article, it was reported that nearly 100 people in northern New Jersey were arrested for failure to pay their court-ordered child support. The arrests came the week of February 1, 2016 as part of a statewide sweep. In Bergen County, 67 people were arrested, and  over $37,000 of nearly $2.8 million of owed child support was collected. Is being arrested for unpaid support payments common?  Read more

You Pay Child Support For Your Teen: Do you Have to Pay Car Insurance, Too?

child support and car insuranceIn the case of Fichter v. Fichter, the New Jersey Appellate Court discussed the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines and amendments to the child support laws relating to car insurance for teen drivers. Do you need to pay car insurance for your teen driver, or should you expect your child’s other parent to share the costs? Read more

Christie Signs Child Support Termination Bill

termination of child supportOn January 19, 2016, Governor Christie signed into law a bill that dramatically impacts child support termination presumptions and procedures in New Jersey. The bill, S-1046/A-2721, is substantially similar to the version passed by the Senate in July of 2015, with minor amendments adopted by the Assembly in December.  Read more

Divorcing With Kids? Don’t Lose Out On Thousands In Child Support

are you owed extra child support?

Is child support at stake in your divorce? Here’s some important news you need to know. In a recent New Jersey Superior Court decision, Judge Lawrence R. Jones handed down a precedent-setting decision that establishes the retroactive date an initial child support obligation can be collected on as the date the parents filed for divorce, not the filing date of a separate motion for child support, as has been previously followed. In many divorces, the difference between these two dates can be months or even years, meaning that some parents could be due to collect — or pay — hundreds or even thousands more in support than previously thought. Read more

NJ Senate Passes Bill to End Child Support Payments at Age 19: How Will This Change Your Order?

child support age cut offWe have been tracking the progress through the New Jersey legislature of Senate bill 1046, which, if passed into law, would cause a major change in termination procedures for New Jersey child support payments. This bill would result in child support payments ending automatically if or when a child marries, dies, enters military service, or reaches the age of 19, unless the child is currently in an out-of-home placement through DCP&P, or unless a court order specifies another date.  On July 23, 2015, the Senate passed this bill by a vote of 31-2. The measure now moves to the Assembly.

While we must caution parents that S-1046 is not yet the law, we also wish to help our clients with current or anticipated child support orders understand exactly how the bill would change the current law, and what it might mean for their own situations. Some of the questions we have heard include the following: Read more

Does The End Of School = The End of Child Support? Not So Fast…

Education costs
Your child has just graduated from high school, or maybe he or she has her 18th birthday coming up. Whatever milestone is within sight, if you are a parent who has paid child support over these last few years, you may be wondering: am I still obligated to provide support once my child is an adult? Read more

Paying NJ Child Support: How Much Is Too Much?

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If you and your former spouse will determine child support as part of your divorce, you may be wondering whether the amount awarded will be fair. How much is too much when it comes to NJ child support? Read more