Even after parents are no longer married, they are required to financially support their children until they are emancipated. Once a custody agreement is reached, the noncustodial parent will be obliged to make child support payments to the custodial parent in an effort to help maintain the child’s quality of life. In New Jersey, child support is typically determined using the state’s Child Support Guidelines. However, in some situations, the Guidelines don’t apply and the court will have to take a number of different factor into consideration to make a decision on the support obligation.
If the Guidelines don’t apply, the court will assess the following factors to determine child support:
- Which parent has custody & other factors related to the custody arrangement
- The child’s needs
- The child’s need for and potential for higher education
- Each parent’s standard of living
- The financial situation of each parent
- Each parent’s assets and liabilities
- The earning capacity of each parent
- The age and health of the child
- The number of children that require support
- The age and health of each parent
It is also important to note that parents may be obligated by New Jersey law to pay for the cost of their child’s college education. This is often a contested matter and therefore, it may be up to the court to make a decision.
If you have questions regarding child support obligations in New Jersey, contact our firm today.
If you require strong legal representation for matters of divorce and family law, contact The Law Offices of Paone, Zaleski & Murphy to schedule a consultation today.