No such thing as “too much” child support

On Behalf of | Sep 29, 2016 | Child Support

Many single Minnesota parents rely on child support in order to provide for their children. However, there are some who often hear complaints about how much child support they are receiving. In some cases, the complaints may be coming from the other parent who is responsible for paying support.

Ultimately, each state has a child support system that allows judges to determine how much child support the noncustodial parent should be paying based on income. Minnesota uses the “income shares model” where both the parents’ income is taken into account when figuring out child support. The main goal is to ensure that the child is able to maintain the standards of living they would have become accustomed to if the parents were still together. This is especially important if one parent was much wealthier than the other.

While getting enough support to raise a child as a parent is certainly important, it cannot be denied that the system is flawed. The federal government does pay the states up to $2 for every $1 it collects for child support. Most of this money often goes to shoring up state budgets instead of helping families. However, this is not the fault of the single parent.

Child support is usually awarded to custodial parents to assist with the child’s everyday expenses, medical needs and education costs. If the noncustodial parent refuses to pay the ordered child support, an attorney may work with the custodial parent and the court to come up with a solution for collecting what is owed. In some cases, this may mean garnishing the noncustodial parent’s wages or levying that parent’s bank account.