When Kentucky parents go through a divorce, the court handling their legal dilemma will give considerable attention to the well-being of the children who are affected by the end of the marriage. Both child custody and child support determinations can be managed by courts when parents fail to come to agreements about such matters on their own. In Kentucky, decisions regarding child support are generally made in accordance with the state’s child support guidelines.
The guidelines dictate that child support amounts are set based on the parents’ combined monthly adjusted gross incomes. Therefore, the incomes of the parents are added together, but certain sums and payments may be deducted from those totals to arrive at the figure that will be used to determine how much each parent must contribute to their child’s financial well-being.
For example, existing support payments to former spouses and children from prior relationships may be excluded from the income of a parent who is subject to an additional child support obligation. Individuals who have questions about how these and other payments may modify their gross incomes and, therefore, their capacities to pay for additional support orders may wish to consult with their attorney.
The smallest amount of child support that a court can order based on the guidelines is $60 per month. If the combined adjusted incomes of the parents exceed the top of the Kentucky child support guideline charts, then a court may make its own determination regarding what it believes to be an appropriate amount of monthly support for the children. As with all legal matters, readers with questions about child support and other family law issues are encouraged to talk to their attorneys about their pending legal questions.
Disclaimer: The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only, and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information contained in this post should be construed as legal advice from Sheehan, Barnett, Dean, Pennington, Dexter & Tucker, P.S.C. or the individual author, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through, this Post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.
