The state of Mississippi uses a complex formula to determine how much child support a non-custodial parent must pay to care for their child after a separation or divorce. The guidelines are fixed, but in some circumstances, they may be altered or overridden when necessary. Parents who wish to learn more about child support, the guidelines, and ways of altering child support outcomes can speak to their family law attorneys about their questions as this post is informational and not written as legal advice.
Basics on the guidelines
State child support guidelines look at different sources of a parent’s income to determine how much child support they should have to pay. Deductions for other costs may be removed from their income, and then their income is compared to a chart that provides guidance on how much they will have to provide. The guidelines are based on the number of children a person must support and a percentage of their income they must make available through child support to those kids.
Altering the guidelines
The guidelines provide a good starting point for figuring out how much child support a parent should have to pay. They do not, however, take into account specific factors that may require a child to receive more support than provided in the guidelines. Those factors can include:
- Agreements made by the parents, such as to pay for a child’s college education
- Extraordinary costs related to the child’s physical or mental health
- Income earned by the child, if applicable
- Childcare costs incurred by the child’s parents
- Other factors relevant to specific child support cases
The Mississippi child support guidelines provide a good jumping off point for determining fair child support payments. They can be altered when circumstances warrant changes. All parents can talk to their attorneys about the best possible solutions to their child support concerns.