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Making sense of the Oregon child support formula

On Behalf of | Mar 20, 2017 | Child Support, Firm News |

Child support is something that many parents in Oregon must deal with. It is awarded in cases where parents are not living and raising the child together. Typically, the parent who the child lives with receives the payments and the other parent makes the payments.

In Oregon, child support is determined based on the state’s Uniform Child Support Guidelines, per the Oregon State Bar. These guidelines contain a formula that is used to come up with the amount of support that should be paid. Generally, the courts will consider this amount and any other factors in the case to come to a final support judgment.

The Oregon Department of Justice outlines the exact formula used to determine child support. It is based on determining each parent’s income, then adjusting the income to come up with the available income. Each parent’s obligation or share of child support must be determined. This is how much they would be responsible for providing financial care for the child and includes medical cost obligations and the cost of child care. Parenting time is then figured in with parents getting credit for it, along with out-of-pocket costs for health insurance and care of the child. The parent’s share and financial obligations are then subtracted from the parent’s income to get the figure used to determine the child support payment, if any.

When the parent’s final income figures are compared, only the one whose income is higher can be ordered to pay child support. So, if the children are living with the parent that makes more, then he or she may not receive any child support.