Tips for Negotiating Child Support

 Posted on October 09, 2024 in Family Law

Unless you and your co-parent will be dividing your children’s time 50/50 and are on roughly equal economic footing, one of you will likely need to pay child support. If you are planning for an uncontested divorce, you will have the opportunity to negotiate child support yourself, with a few caveats. Because it is the child, rather than the parent, who is entitled to child support, a court will need to approve your agreement. The court will only approve a child support agreement that is in the child’s best interests. You should be represented by an experienced San Antonio, TX child support lawyer while negotiating child custody and support.

Know the Law

A good starting point for negotiations is what the judge would probably order if you and your co-parent went to court on this issue. Texas law considers factors like how much time each parent spends caring for the child, each parent’s relative income, and the specific needs of the children when determining who should pay child support and how much. Skilled attorneys can make an educated guess about what the payor’s child support obligation would look like if it were strictly up to a court.

Consider Your Children’s Lifestyle

Children do not "need" much more than food, water, and shelter. However, there is much more to the modern child’s life than that. If a travel sports team or a hobby like horseback riding is a crucial part of your child’s life, you will want to consider expenses related to these activities. While things like cell phones and a car for a teenager are probably not absolute necessities, if your child should have these items for practical reasons, you will want to factor them in.

Consider calculating how much of your total income you have spent on your child’s needs and wishes over the last several months. This should give you a rough idea of how much financial support your child actually needs.

Calculate Your Disposable Income 

It is also a good idea to know how much of the payor’s income is disposable. Knowing how much money the payor has left each month after meeting his or her own needs can help to illustrate what amount of child support might be reasonable. This can be especially helpful if the parents were living together and sharing expenses until recently.

Contact a Bexar County, TX Child Support Lawyer 

Brandon Wong & Associates is committed to helping parents create fair child support agreements. Our experienced San Antonio, TX child support attorneys will fight for you and your child. Contact us at 210-201-3832 for a confidential consultation.