Indiana Child Support Attorneys
Indiana child support obligations are controlled by the Indiana Child Support Rules and Guidelines. The attorneys at Bernhardt Phillips, LLP, have experience dealing with all types of child support matters and will help to ensure you get the best possible child support obligation for your circumstances.
Indiana Child Support Calculator
The Indiana child support calculator uses both parent’s gross weekly income, along with a number of other factors, to determine a recommended weekly child support obligation. While this may appear to be simple, in practice, it is hardly ever as simple as it may appear. What happens if a parent doesn’t work, or was recently laid off? Do you include bonuses, overtime or commission? What do you do with self-employment income or other business income?
Every case is unique, and the attorneys at Bernhardt Phillips have extensive experience dealing with Indiana child support matters. We can answer all your questions and help determine your options to address your child support order.
Gross Weekly Income
Determining a parent’s gross weekly income is different in every situation. At the most basic level, we would take an individual’s hourly rate and multiply it by the number of hours worked for the week, or simply divide an individual’s salary by 52 weeks. However, this is just the start. Does an individual receive bonuses, overtime, or other irregular income? What about other perks of employment? Should they count towards gross weekly income, and how do we calculate their value? The family law attorneys at Bernhardt Phillips, LLP, can answer all these questions for you.
Other Children Of The Parties
On the child support worksheet, a parent will receive credit for child support paid for any prior-born children. You also have the ability to include any legal duty support paid. Parents will also want to include the number of children born after the children are addressed by the current order, as they will get a reduction applied to their income for the number of children.
Weekly Amount Paid For Alimony Or Spousal Maintenance
Another factor addressed by the Indiana child support calculator is the amount a parent pays for alimony or spousal maintenance. A parent will have their income reduced for the purposes of calculating child support based on amounts paid for alimony or spousal maintenance. Make sure to provide your attorney with information about any other divorces or child support cases to ensure that you are receiving all the proper credits.
Work-Related Child Care
The amount a parent pays for work-related child care can have a major impact on the recommended support obligation. That is primarily because work-related child care is generally not cheap. Whether a parent actually pays work-related child care costs is a question we deal with all the time, especially with more people working remotely.
Health Insurance
A parent will get credit on the child support worksheet for the amount they pay for the children’s medical, dental, and vision insurance. Calculating what exactly is paid for the children solely can be a bit tricky when we deal with blended families where children from multiple sets of parents are covered under one policy or where a stepparent covers the health insurance. Bernhardt Phillips, LLP, works with blended families every day and can help determine the appropriate numbers to use for the Indiana Child Support Guidelines.
Parenting Time
One of the most important factors included in a child support calculation is the parenting time overnight credit. Simply, a parent will receive a credit on the child support worksheet based on the number of overnights they spend with the child on a yearly basis. Bernhardt Phillips, LLP, attorneys will help properly calculate and apply the overnight parenting time credit to ensure your child support worksheet is complete and accurate.
Answers To Common Indiana Child Support Questions
Child support rules can affect where you file, when support ends and what you may owe with shared parenting time. The following answers explain Indiana child support issues:
Where do you file a petition for child support in Indianapolis?
If you need a child support order in Indianapolis, you file through the Marion County court system. The right filing depends on your case, because a divorce, paternity case or existing support case may require a different path. Marion County also has a Title IV-D child support office through the prosecutor, which helps parents establish, enforce or modify support. It does not handle divorce, custody or parenting time disputes. Before filing, check which court or office should handle your request to avoid using the wrong forms or filing in the wrong place.
At what age does a child support obligation legally terminate in Indiana?
In Indiana, current child support usually ends when your child turns 19. At that age, Indiana law treats the child as emancipated for support purposes, though exceptions can keep support in place. A court may continue support if your child has an incapacity. Support may also continue if your child remains a full-time high school student and you file the required notice before emancipation. Support can also end before age 19, when a child marries, enters active military duty or meets Indiana’s rules for early emancipation. If you still owe past-due support, those arrears do not disappear when current support ends.
Does a 50/50 joint physical custody arrangement completely eliminate child support in Indiana?
No. Equal parenting time does not automatically reduce your child support obligation to zero. Indiana starts with both parents’ incomes and other factors in the Child Support Guidelines, then applies a parenting time credit based on the number of overnights. Equal parenting time can increase the credit, but income still matters. The court may also consider who pays controlled expenses, such as clothing and ordinary school costs. Because of this, one parent may still owe support despite equal parenting time. Your final amount still depends on the full child support worksheet, not parenting time alone.
Discuss Your Indiana Child Support Options With Our Attorneys
Contact the family law attorneys at Bernhardt Phillips, LLP, today for your free consultation regarding your Indiana child support matter.