Table Support Options

Table Support is calculated using the Federal Child Support Guidelines and provides a baseline for child support payments. The specific type of table support option chosen will depend on the parenting arrangement and the financial circumstances of the parents. Let’s go through each option:

1. Equal Parenting Time (50/50 Split)

Equal Parenting Time occurs when the child spends roughly 50% of their time with each parent. In this case, both parents have an equal responsibility for the child’s day-to-day care, and the child support arrangement is adjusted to reflect this.

How It Works:

• In equal parenting situations, child support is typically calculated by comparing the income of both parents.
• The parent with the higher income may owe child support to the other parent to help balance out the costs of raising the child in two households.

Why Choose It:

• Equal parenting ensures both parents are actively involved in the child’s life and share the financial responsibility.
• This option works well when both parents have comparable incomes and want to equally share the costs of raising the child.

2. Shared Parenting Time (40%-50% of Time with Each Parent)

In Shared Parenting Time, the child spends 40% to 50% of their time with each parent. Since both parents are involved in the child’s day-to-day care, child support is often adjusted to reflect the increased costs of maintaining two households.

How It Works:

• Similar to equal parenting, child support is calculated based on the incomes of both parents.
• There may be additional costs associated with maintaining two homes, and these are taken into account when determining support amounts.

Why Choose It:

• Shared parenting allows both parents to be heavily involved in the child’s life, while still ensuring that one parent contributes more if their income is significantly higher.
• It’s ideal for parents who want substantial involvement in the child’s life but are not doing a full 50/50 split.

3. Primary Parenting Time (One Parent Has Over 60% of Time)

In Primary Parenting Time, the child spends more than 60% of their time with one parent, who becomes the primary caregiver. The non-primary parent typically pays child support based on the Table Amount.

How It Works:

• The non-primary parent pays child support to the primary caregiver, calculated based on their income and the number of children.
• This option is based on the idea that the primary caregiver is responsible for most of the child’s day-to-day needs, and the other parent helps support those costs.

Why Choose It:

• This option works best when one parent has the primary responsibility for the child’s care, and the other parent contributes financially.
• It provides consistency and ensures the primary caregiver has the necessary financial resources to care for the child.

4. No Provisions for Child Support

In some cases, parents may agree that No Provisions for Child Support are necessary. This option is less common but may be used when both parents are financially independent and capable of supporting the child on their own, or in cases where the child is older and requires less financial support.

How It Works:

• Parents mutually agree that no formal child support payments will be made. This decision must still be in the best interests of the child and may require court approval.
• Both parents continue to support the child without regular payments from one parent to the other.

Why Choose It:

• This option is ideal for cases where both parents have similar incomes, equally share parenting time, and can independently provide for the child’s needs without financial assistance from the other parent.
• It’s also useful in situations where the child is financially independent or near the age of majority.

5. No Support

No Support is a similar concept to "No Provisions" but usually refers to situations where there is a legal reason or agreement that one parent does not owe child support to the other. This could happen in cases where the child is no longer dependent, or the financial circumstances of the parents make support unnecessary.

How It Works:

• One or both parents agree, or a court determines, that no child support is necessary. This is often the case when the child is self-supporting, over the age of majority, or if both parents earn high incomes and can independently support the child.

Why Choose It:

• This option works when parents agree that child support is not required, or if the child is financially independent.
• It simplifies the financial arrangement and eliminates the need for ongoing payments.

6. Split Parenting Time (Each Parent Has Primary Care of at Least One Child)

In Split Parenting Time, there are multiple children, and each parent has primary care of at least one child. Child support is calculated separately for each child, with both parents owing support to each other for the child in the other’s care.

How It Works:

• Child support is calculated for each parent based on the income of the other parent and the number of children in their care.
• Both parents end up paying child support to each other, but the amount is based on their individual incomes and the number of children in the other parent’s care.

Why Choose It:

• Split parenting is ideal when parents have more than one child, and each child lives primarily with a different parent. This arrangement reflects the financial responsibility each parent has for the child in the other’s care.
• It ensures that each parent contributes to the child’s upbringing, regardless of which home the child is living in.

7. Lump Sum Child Support

In Lump Sum Child Support, one parent makes a single, one-time payment to cover their child support obligations, rather than making regular monthly payments. This option is less common and is usually used in situations where both parents prefer a clean financial break.

How It Works:

• Instead of paying monthly support, one parent pays a lump sum amount to cover future child support obligations. This lump sum is typically calculated based on the amount of support that would have been paid over time.
• Both parents agree that this payment satisfies all future child support obligations.

Why Choose It:

• Lump sum payments may be chosen when both parents prefer financial closure or when one parent has the means to make a large, one-time payment.
• It avoids the need for ongoing financial interactions between the parents but carries the risk that future circumstances (like increased costs for the child) won’t be covered.

When to Recommend These Options:

1. Equal Parenting: When both parents have similar incomes and want an equal split of parenting duties and financial responsibilities.
2. Shared Parenting: When both parents share parenting time but one earns significantly more and needs to contribute financially to balance the costs.
3. Primary Parenting: When one parent takes on the majority of parenting duties and requires financial support from the other parent to cover the child’s needs.
4. No Provisions: When both parents are capable of supporting the child without formal child support payments, or the child is older and needs less support.
5. No Support: When the child is financially independent, or both parents earn high incomes and don’t need formal financial support.
6. Split Parenting: When each parent has primary care of one or more children, and both owe child support to the other for the child in their care.
7. Lump Sum: When both parents prefer a one-time financial settlement rather than ongoing child support payments.

Conclusion

These Table Support Options give parents and mediators the flexibility to tailor child support agreements based on their specific parenting arrangements and financial situations. By understanding each option, mediators can guide parents to the best solution for their family’s needs, ensuring fairness and simplicity in the child support process.