Child Support Services is one of the few areas of domestic action in which the award is very easy to determine in advance. Absent unusual circumstances, there is a formula that will be applied by the court based on the two parties’ gross income, to which will be added expenses for health insurance premiums and childcare. However, based upon circumstances the courts will often approve Child Support Services other than the mandated amount if the parties both agree upon it.
Should the parties want something other than the standard, it is critical that they enlist the assistance of competent counsel who can fashion the presentation to the court in such a way that the court will be inclined to approve the deviation from the standard guidelines.