Divorce has the power to impact all people in a family, especially children. If a couple has children together, they are required to decide on new arrangements for them. This includes the matter of child support. Courts stress the importance of allowing a child to maintain the standard they were used to before the divorce. In order to do this, they require child support to be paid from one parent to the other. This compensation is paid after the divorce to continue financially supporting the children.
The amount that is due in child support is determined by a judge. This is done by the following the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines. These guidelines calculate the child’s expenses with the income of the family. In addition to this, the court considers other factors relating to the parents’ financial status, their work history, earning capacity, the needs of the child, the cost of providing for the child, and more. With this, the judge is able to determine what the parents can provide the child with to ensure their stability. This allows them to come to a fair conclusion of the amount regarding the family in question’s personal situation.
Age of Emancipation
When a parent is the child’s custodial parent, this means the child will live with them the majority of the time. This requires them to make sure the child has consistent shelter, food, clothing, and more. It can become difficult for one parent to afford these expenses on their own. It is because of this that the non-custodial parent is required to financially assist the child as well through child support payments. This helps to balance out the cost of living of the child. Child support payments may end when a child reaches the age of emancipation. In the state of New Jersey, this age is typically 19 years old.
However, every family is different than another. This is why child support cases are handled personally to each family. It is because of this that support payments do not always end at 19 years old. Sometimes, courts will make an exception and extend payments past this age. This may be if the child wishes to seek higher education, such as college or trade school. In the event of this, they may not be seen as emancipated until their education is over. This is so that the parent continues to provide for them while they are still unable to support themselves. While this is true, if a parent believes is able to provide for themselves, they can petition the court to emancipate their child. When a child is emancipated, it may end child support payments.
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If you require strong legal representation for matters of divorce and family law in New Jersey, contact The Law Offices of Paone, Zaleski & Murphy to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced attorneys today
