After you go through a divorce, you may have to pay or wait to receive child support. If you’re waiting to receive it, then you likely need that support to help pay for things your child needs such as food, housing and schooling. When can you ask for child support? Will you receive it? How do you know how much you’ll get? These are important questions to ask before you head to court or make a request for child support.
Generally speaking, if your spouse left your family home and children and is now living separate from you as your ex following divorce, you can request child support. You may be a sole custodian or you could share custody, but the parent who has the children more often is typically the one who receives child support.
Once it’s determined that you’re eligible to receive child support, the Pennsylvanian court will calculate the support based on your combined incomes and state guidelines. A proportional share of child support will be paid to one parent by the other. Usually, the share is decided by dividing one partner’s net income by the combined income of both parties.
On top of child support, the person who isn’t living in the home with the children will also have to pay a proportional amount for child care. This is not included in child support fees, so this will be an additional withdrawal each month or in whatever form is decided by the court. If you want to learn more about child support, our website has information that details what you can expect.