Parents who live in Washington state may be worried about how Washington calculates child support if parents share custody. It is common for parents to share child custody to a certain extent, but child support may be impacted if it is 50/50 custody.
At Allen Fischer PLLC, we strive to provide our clients with compassionate and experienced legal representation. So, keep reading to find out who pays child support if the parents have 50/50 custody.
What is 50/50 Child Custody?
In a lot of divorce cases involving children, the parents may share parenting equally, and when they do, we call this 50/50 custody. But it is also not uncommon for one parent to be primarily responsible for parenting. For instance, a less disruptive parenting scheme may result in a 40/60 or 30/70 custody or other parenting arrangement.
When it comes to 50/50 child custody, this can make receiving child support a bit more complicated. This is because the child will live with both parents equally. However, this does not automatically mean that one parent isn’t owed child support from the other.
Who Pays For Child Support?
If you have 50/50 child custody with your child’s other parent, you may still be entitled to receive or pay child support. This can be difficult to navigate, but a child support attorney can help you assess this.
For instance, you may be the parent who handles most of the expenses for the child. Or you may have insufficient funds to meet the basic needs of your child, which would result in you needing child support.
In most cases involving 50/50 custody, the more economically strong parent will be required to pay child support to the economically weaker parent. Child support is not something that can just be ‘agreed away.’
How Child Support is Calculated in Washington
Child support is usually straightforward when both parties are W-2 wage earners, but if one person is unemployed or underemployed, the court may be required to impute income to that parent. Furthermore, child support is usually paid to the parent that has the most responsibility for the child. For instance, in a 40/60 situation, the parent with 60% of the custody receives child support. Washington law is not perfectly equipped for situations involving 50/50 child custody, but the court has the discretion to deviate from the standard calculation of child support.
Hire Allen Fischer PLLC to Handle Your Child Support Case Today
Understanding how child support and child custody work in Washington can feel like an overwhelming and confusing process. At Allen Fischer PLLC, we have handled thousands of child support cases and can help you get the best possible result. To partner with a team of compassionate and experienced child custody attorneys, reach out to Allen Fischer PLLC at 509-466-7770.
