child support

• Can We Set Different Child Support Payments from What the Court Recommends?

  High school seniors Bob and Jamie dated for a few months and broke up, only to find out weeks later that Jamie was pregnant with Bob’s child. Over their parents’ objections, they tried to smooth over their differences by getting married soon after graduation. After two years of marriage, the couple divorced when it became clear they weren’t compatible in the long run.

  While Bob and Jamie fought over a number of issues while they were married, the divorce was amicable as both loved their daughter. Jamie knew Bob would try hard to help care for their child, but she also knew he was struggling to make ends meet with his new job. Jamie decided she could accept reduced child support payments to help Bob get established. She also knew that Bob’s child support payments could be increased later as his financial situation improved.

• Does my ex-spouse have a right to know how I spend the child support he pays to me?

  No.  Although child support is supposed to be for the benefit of the children, you do not have to keep the money you receive from your ex in a separate account, nor do you have to account for how the money is spent.

• How is the Amount of Child Support Determined?

  Michigan law starts with the premise that both parents have an obligation to support their children financially. Michigan uses the “Income Shares Model,” which requires child support to be paid based on the needs of the children and the financial resources of the parents. From that baseline, the amount of support can be modified based on several factors, including but not limited to the parenting time arrangement (which parent has the most overnights), and the ability of both parents to earn income (as opposed to actual income earned).

• Michigan Family Law: Are Child Support Payments Tax Deductible?

  No. Child support payments are not included in the taxable income of the spouse receiving said child support and therefore cannot be deducted from the taxable income of the spouse who is making the support payments.

• Michigan is No Fault for Divorce, But Misconduct May Impact Custody

  During happy hour with her friends, Amber mentioned that her child’s father, Dave, had not been spending much time lately with their 5-year-old daughter, Abigail. Although Amber and Dave were never married, they had been able to co-parent Abigail since their relationship ended over two years ago. In fact, Amber and Dave had never been to court and had no formal agreement regarding custody, parenting time, and support.