"Child support (or child maintenance) is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child (or parent, caregiver, guardian) following the end of a marriage or other similar relationship."
Obligation to financially support a child after divorce or separation.
Definition and Purpose of Child Support: Understanding the definition of child support and its purpose is critical when starting to learn about this topic. Child support is a payment made by the noncustodial parent to help support the child's welfare and living expenses.
Calculation of Child Support: There are different methods used to calculate child support depending on the state you live in. It is important to understand how these calculations are made and what factors are considered during the process.
Custody and Visitation: Understanding the difference between sole custody, joint custody, and visitation rights is critical to understanding child support. Custody and visitation can affect how much child support is paid.
Modification of Child Support: A change in circumstances such as a change in income or custody arrangement, can prompt a request for modification of child support. It is necessary to learn about legal options available during a modification request.
Enforcement of Child Support: Legal procedures can be taken in situations where the noncustodial parent fails to pay child support. This topic covers the different ways to enforce child support, including taking legal action, wage garnishments, and liens.
Medical Expenses: In addition to child support, the noncustodial parent may be responsible for medical expenses such as insurance premiums, deductibles, and co-pays. It is important to understand the responsibility distribution for medical costs.
Tax Implications: Understand the role of taxes in child support payments and how they are treated at state and federal levels.
Arrears: When a noncustodial parent falls behind on child support payments, they may accrue arrears. This topic covers the legal steps that can be taken to collect child support and the consequences for having unpaid arrears.
International Child Support: International child support cases often arise in instances where the noncustodial parent lives outside of the country. It is important to learn about the different rules and regulations involved with international child support.
Paternity: Establishing paternity is critical to ensuring that child support is legally required of the noncustodial parent. This topic covers the legal options available for establishing paternity.
Family Law Courts: Understanding the family law court system is critical when navigating child support issues. Learning about the different levels of courts, state laws, and legal procedures are essential to providing support to the child.
Child Support Services: Additionally, child support enforcement is often handled by child support services administration. It’s important to learn about the services provided by child support services administration and how they are implemented.
Basic child support: This is the most common type of child support and refers to the money paid by a non-custodial parent to the custodial parent to meet the basic needs of the child, including food, clothing, shelter, and other day-to-day expenses.
Medical or health insurance child support: This type of child support refers to the payment made by the non-custodial parent towards the medical or health insurance expenses of the child.
Education-related child support: This type of child support refers to the payment made by the non-custodial parent towards the education expenses of the child, including tuition fees, books, and other necessary expenses.
Additional child support: This type of child support refers to the payment made by the non-custodial parent towards any additional expenses of the child, such as extracurricular activities, summer camps, etc.
Childcare or daycare support: This type of child support refers to the payment made by the non-custodial parent towards the childcare or daycare expenses of the child.
Disability child support: This type of child support refers to the payment made by the non-custodial parent towards the care and maintenance of a child with a disability.
Travel-related child support: This type of child support refers to the payment made by the non-custodial parent towards the travel expenses of the child, such as transportation costs while visiting the non-custodial parent.
Holiday child support: This type of child support refers to the payment made by the non-custodial parent towards the expenses related to holiday celebrations or gifts.
"The obligor is typically a non-custodial parent. The obligee is typically a custodial parent, a caregiver, or a guardian."
"Depending on the jurisdiction, a custodial parent may pay child support to a non-custodial parent. Typically one has the same duty to pay child support irrespective of sex, so a mother is required to pay support to a father just as a father must pay a mother."
"In some jurisdictions where there is joint custody, the child is considered to have two custodial parents and no non-custodial parents, and a custodial parent with a higher income (obligor) may be required to pay the other custodial parent (obligee)."
"In other jurisdictions, and even with legally shared residence, unless they can prove exactly equal contributions, one parent will be deemed the non-resident parent for child support and will have to pay the other parent a proportion of their income; the 'resident' parent's income or needs are not assessed."
"Child support is often arranged as part of a divorce, marital separation, annulment, determination of parentage, or dissolution of a civil union and may supplement alimony (spousal support) arrangements."
"The right to child support and the responsibilities of parents to provide such support have been internationally recognized."
"The upbringing and development of children and a standard of living adequate for the children's development is a common responsibility of both parents and a fundamental human right for children, and asserts that the primary responsibility to provide such for the children rests with their parents."
"Other United Nations documents and decisions related to child-support enforcement include the 1956 New York Convention on the Recovery Abroad of Maintenance created under the auspices of the United Nations, which has been ratified by the 64 of the UN member states. In addition, the right to child support, as well as specific implementation and enforcement measures, has been recognized by various other international entities, including the Council of Europe, the European Union and the Hague Conference."
"Within individual countries, examples of legislation pertaining to, and establishing guidelines for, the implementation and collection of child maintenance include the 1975 Family Law Act (Australia), the Child Support Act (United Kingdom), and the Maintenance and Affiliation Act (Fiji)."
"Child support in the United States, 45 C.F.R. 302.56 requires each state to establish and publish a Guideline that is presumed correct (but rebuttable), and Review the Guideline, at a minimum, every four years."
"Child-support laws and obligations are known to be recognized in a vast majority of world nations, including the majority of countries in Europe, North America, and Australia, as well as many in Africa, Asia, and South America." These quotes provide direct answers to the study questions from the paragraph.