The California law states that when two people have a child together, both parents are financially responsible for the care of that child up until his or her 18th birthday. Even if the parents are no longer, or were never, together by marriage, each parent is still required to financially support the child(ren) they share, whether there is joint custody involved or if one of the parents has full custody.

But what happens when one or both of the parents end up having more children with another spouse? Specifically, what happens with child support for the children that they share? Does it increase to cover the care of the new, non-shared child? Does it stay the same since the new child added to the family isn’t shared between those two parents? Or, will child support decrease to allow the parent with the growing family to care for their new child financially? These are common questions we are asked.

How Having Another Child Can Impact Your Child Support

Because child support obligations are partially based on the number of dependents one has, the California court can legally reduce child support payments if you or your ex-partner has another child. This gives the parent with the new child more financial room to care for their new addition. Stepchildren, however, do not make a difference in terms of how much child support a parent will give or receive.

Other Reasons Child Support Payments May Be Recalculated

Apart from adding more children to the family, child support can also be altered if the custody percentage changes, yours or your ex’s income has changed, or if the initial computation was incorrect. If anything changes regarding the tax filing status of each parent or the costs of childcare, these too are factors that may necessitate a recalculation of child support payments.

Modify Your Child Support Order in Upland CA

Do your child support payments in Upland, CA need to be recalculated? Whether you’re the parent who owes child support or the parent who is owed financial support from the other parent, you can modify the child support payments you receive or pay depending on various circumstances: new children in the family, a change in income, the loss of a job, income tax refund intercepts, the list continues.

Call Attorney Torrence L. Howell in Upland today at (909) 920-0908 for a free child support case evaluation. Or, if you have any further questions regarding child support, we’ll be more than happy to give you the answers you require!