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Parents are obligated to support their children. For parents who live together, financially supporting their children does not involve the court. When parents who do not live together or are going through a divorce or custody case, custody and visitation agreements are common but there can also be child support agreements as well. The amount of child support paid and by whom will vary on a variety of factors.

Below are some child support basics.

HOW CHILD SUPPORT IS DETERMINED

Most states have child support guidelines in place. Child support is based on custody and the parent’s income.

In Nevada, the amount of child support depends on the noncustodial parent’s net income and the number of children for which they responsible. The court will take into account the best interests of the children, including their financial resources and needs, the financial resources and needs of the custodial parent, the standard of living the children would have enjoyed if the marriage or separation had not occurred, and well as the physical, emotional, and educational needs of the children.

Child support normally ends at the age of majority, which is 18, or 19 if a child is in high school and expects to graduate by age 19. In most cases child support automatically terminates at the age of majority unless otherwise specified in the court order.

New child support regulations were put into place on February 1, 2020.
A parent’s child support obligation is based on a percent of their gross monthly income.

For one child:

• 16% of the first $6,000 of the obligor’s monthly gross income
• 8% of monthly gross income over $6,000 but equal to or less than $10,000
• 4% of monthly gross income over $10,000

For two children:

• 22% of the first $6,000 of the obligor’s monthly gross income
• 11% of monthly gross income over $6,000 but equal to or less than $10,000
• 6% of monthly gross income over $10,000

For three children:

• 26% of the first $6,000 of the obligor’s monthly gross income
• 13% of monthly gross income over $6,000 but equal to or less than $10,000
• 6% of monthly gross income over $10,000

For four children:

• 28% of the first $6,000 of the obligor’s monthly gross income
• 14% of monthly gross income over $6,000 but equal to or less than $10,000
• 7% of monthly gross income over $10,000

For each additional child, the sum of:

• An additional 2% of the first $6,000 of the obligor’s monthly gross income
• An additional 1% of monthly gross income over $6,000 but equal to or less than $10,000
• An additional 0.5% of monthly gross income over $10,000

If the parents share joint physical custody, then the child support determination still follows the same formula however the amount of support is based on an offset approach.

There are additional steps for split custody arrangements.

WHEN CHILD SUPPORT IS NOT PAID

It is important for parents to understand that even if child support is not paid, this does not mean the other parent can prevent the nonpaying parent from seeing the children. The law generally assumes that it is important for children to have a relationship with both parents, financial concerns aside.

It’s best to check with your attorney if the other parent is not meeting their support obligations or if a parent’s circumstances have changed from when you child support was originally ordered.

For more information on child support contact us at (702) 776-7179 or schedule a consultation.