Child support is mandatory for divorced parents (or parents who are not together) in Wisconsin. The state operates on the principle that child support is a two-parent responsibility, though, so it doesn’t always work out the way people think it will.
Here’s what you need to know.
Child Support as a Two-Parent Responsibility
Both parents are legally required to financially support their children in the state of Wisconsin. The courts can order one or both parents to pay child support, provided that it’s reasonable and necessary.
In most cases, the parent who has the child less than 50 percent of the time is the one who has to make child support payments. (There are exceptions to every rule, though, and your Milwaukee divorce attorney can help you figure out what’s going to happen in your case.)
How is Child Support Determined?
Wisconsin has specific child support guidelines that govern how much money one parent has to pay the other for child support. However, judges can deviate from the guidelines on a case-by-case basis.
Typically, child support payments are based on the paying parent’s income. Even if the parent who’s responsible for paying doesn’t have a job, he or she is still accountable for making payments.
For the most part, when the paying parent makes between $1,350 and $7,000 per month, he or she will owe:
- 17 percent of income for 1 child
- 25 percent of income for 2 children
- 29 percent of income for 3 children
- 31 percent of income for 4 children
- 34 percent of income for 5 or more children
When the paying parent makes less than $1,350 per month, the courts use what’s called the low-income payer table, which ranges between 11.34 percent of the parent’s income to 22.35 percent of the parent’s income.
Do You Need to Talk to a Milwaukee Divorce Lawyer?
If you’re a parent who’s divorcing in Milwaukee or a nearby city, we may be able to help you. Call us at 414-383-6700 for a free divorce case review, where you’ll be welcome to ask us all your questions about child support and other divorce-related issues.
