Child support

Notes on calculating child support

Georgia guidelines

Rough calculations based on the Georgia child support guidelines in 19-6-15 (also here), section (b) "Process of calculating child support":

1. Determine the monthly Gross Income of both the Custodial Parent and the Noncustodial Parent.

• Woozle: none at present
• Livia: unknown; maybe $20k?

2. not applicable

3. Add each Parent́s Adjusted Income together to compute the Combined Adjusted Income

• Not more than $50k, even if W were employed at an expected salary; will use $20k and $50k as low and high annual figures =~ $1600 and $4200 monthly

4. Locate the Basic Child Support Obligation by referring to the Child Support Obligation Table. Using the figure closest to the amount of the Combined Adjusted Income, locate the amount of the Basic Child Support Obligation in the column underneath the number of children for whom support is being determined. If the Combined Adjusted Income falls between the amounts shown in the table, then the Basic Child Support Obligation shall be based on the income bracket most closely matched to the Combined Adjusted Income;

• low: $350; high: $809

5. Calculate the pro rata share of the Basic Child Support Obligation for the Custodial Parent and the Noncustodial Parent by dividing the Combined Adjusted Income into each Parent́s Adjusted Income to arrive at each Parent́s pro rata percentage of the Basic Child Support Obligation;

• Making a pessimistic assumption that W's share is 75% and a more realistic assumption of 60%:
  • (pessimistic) low: W $262.50 (L $87.50); high: W $606.75 (L $202.25)
  • (realistic) low: W $210.00 (L $140.00); high: W $485.40 (L $323.60)

I'm not going to use the rest of the calculations because (a) this is mainly for getting a ball-park figure, and (b) I don't have many of the numbers it requires.

Additional Adjustments

• My income from mid-2001 to present was erratic and near zero; child support for those years should be re-calculated based on actual income figures (mine and L's).
• We need to resolve this business about the rent from "my" rental house. The settlement is clear that I do not own it, but this is inconsistent with two points:
  • If I don't own the house, then there should be a lump sum credited to me for giving it up, as I invested heavily in it and was promised equal ownership (with L) of the two houses (to which ownership of either house would be roughly equivalent), and the house's rent should not be credited towards child support.
  • If rent from that house is being credited towards child support, then I need statements showing when and how much; it should also be explained why this rent is being credited to me, if I do not own the house.
• Some percentage of JERS's contributions should be credited towards child support, as he has told me that he intended for those contributions to take a burden off my shoulders as well as helping Anna and Livia.