How is Child Support Calculated in Oklahoma?

Calculating child support in Oklahoma is done by the family court system and involves several complex factors. Factors like you and your spouse’s income will be looked at along with interfering factors like disabilities and what type of child custody is awarded. Some parents worry about whether they will be able to afford child support or what they will do if they lose their job. Child support can be modified in certain cases when circumstances change significantly. Talk to an Oklahoma Divorce Lawyer to find out more. 

Calculating Child Support

In Oklahoma, child support calculations are done based on a percentage of the combined gross income of both parents. This gross income can be broken down into passive income and earned income. Passive income involves any income other than your earned income. This can mean looking at your pensions, rent fees, interest income, social security or disability benefits, gifts or prizes, worker’s compensation income, unemployment benefits, royalties, and any other income.

Earned income is more specific and focused. This type of income involves earned wages or salaries, bonuses, severance pay, and commission. In other words, any kind of income you earn from your job will be considered a part of your gross income. This total will then be combined with your total passive income. Sources of income like food stamps or supplemental security income will not be counted as part of your gross income.

For parents who are physically or mentally disabled, the court will calculate child support based on actual gross monthly income. Alimony payment amounts will be excluded from gross income. These modifications are called adjusted gross income. The percentage of time the child spends with each parent will be multiplied by the adjusted gross income.

Courts will also consider whether the other parent who is expected to pay child support has a job, will be seeking a job, or is attending school to increase income in the future. 

Can Child Support Be Modified?

In certain cases, child support can be modified. However, modifications are usually only approved by the court when the circumstances are significant. For example, losing your job or obtaining a different job with less income may warrant a change in child support. 

To make the modification, you can go through a lawyer or you can do this yourself. Working with a lawyer tends to make the overall process faster. This is helpful when you need an immediate change to the amount of child support you have to pay. Doing this yourself will require more time because you will need to write the court papers yourself, submit them to the clerk, and will need to attend a hearing.

Divorce Lawyer in Oklahoma

Trying to calculate child support ahead of time can help you prepare for how much you may have to pay, but doing this alone can often feel overwhelming. Consider talking to an Oklahoma Family Lawyer about how to calculate child support costs or if you want to make a modification. Call the Putnam Law Office at (405)-849-9149 for a consultation today. Mr. Putnam is an Oklahoma City, OK attorney who is dedicated to his clients.