Arizona courts calculate child support pursuant to the Arizona Child Support Guidelines. The Arizona Supreme Court posted the Guidelines on its website here: https://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/sscDocs/pdf/drs10hz.pdf
The Arizona Supreme Court also published an Arizona child support calculator here: http://www.azcourts.gov/familylaw/2015-Child-Support-Calculator
Parents can calculate child support using the online calculator.
The Arizona Child Support calculator uses a formula which calculates the basic child support amount based on the combined gross monthly income of the parents. If a parent is purposely unemployed or underemployed, the court can attribute an income that the court believes that parent can earn. The court will generally not include overtime or income from a second job when that parent already has a full-time job. The gross monthly income may change due to support a parent provides for children that are not common to the parties.
After determining the basic child support amount from the combined gross monthly income of the parents, the calculator divides that amount proportionately to each parent’s income to determine the child support amount. Then, the calculator makes adjustments based the cost of medical/dental/vision insurance, day care costs, the number of parenting time days, and, in some cases, extraordinary child costs. Extraordinary child costs are costs associated with a gifted or disabled child. After making these adjustments, we have the guideline child support amount.
After determining the guideline child support amount, the court may, on rare occasions, deviate from the guideline amount if the court finds that doing so is in the best interests of the child.
If you have questions about child support in Arizona, please give me a call.
