Understanding Basic Child Support in Hackensack, NJ
In New Jersey, child support is governed by the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines. These guidelines are embodied in Appendix IX to New Jersey Court Rule 5:6a. In Paragraph 8 to Appendix IX-A, there is a list of all of the expenses that are covered by a basic child support award.
The expenses are broken into six categories:
- Food Expenses
- Housing Expenses
- Clothing Expenses
- Non-Reimbursed Medical Expenses (beyond the first $250.00 per year per child, which is covered by the basic child support award)
- Entertainment Expenses
- Miscellaneous Expenses
To learn more about how these apply to you, call Laterra & Hodge, LLC at (201) 580-2240 to speak with a Hackensack lawyer.
Understanding Each Category of Child Support Expenses
Within each of these categories is a list of specific items that are covered by basic child support. As a general rule, if an expense can be found within any of these lists, the party paying child support should not have an obligation to contribute to said expense, independent of that party’s payment of basic child support.
In contrast, if there is a specific expense that is not contained within any of these categories, then it is not covered by basic child support, and the parties should share in that cost in proportion to their respective incomes.
Key Exceptions to Basic Child Support Coverage
One exception (although not necessarily the only exception) concerns the child support in the situations involving high-income earners.
When the parties’ combined net income is so high that it falls outside of the maximum amount contemplated by the guidelines, then an additional amount of support must be added to the basic child support award. Often, this additional amount is in the form of contribution toward specific expenses, and often these additional expenses are among those that presumably fall within one of the categories of expenses found in Appendix IX-A.
At Laterra & Hodge, LLC, our Hackensack attorneys will help assure that the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines are applied equitable, such that all of the child’s needs are met, but also so that there is no duplication of expenses.
