Washington State Child Support
What Is Child Support?
the cost of food,
shelter,
clothing,
and other necessities.
How Does Child Support Work In Washington State?
Many other areas of family law are open to interpretation and leave room for human input.
Washington State child support doesn’t operate that way.
In Washington, child support initially follows a strict, uniform formula. It accounts for an array of factors, but the equation remains the same. However, there can be deviations from the calculated amount based on other factors such as the number of overnights with the child(ren) and whether you have other children living with you or paying support for.
Calculate Your Own Child Support Payments
To get started:
- Collect specific information about your income, finances, and taxes.
- You need your most recent tax returns, paycheck stubs, and tax forms, like W-2s or 1099s.
- any paperwork that documents disability or unemployment benefits,
- child health care costs,
- mandatory fees like union dues or retirement contributions,
- job-related expenses.
- If you have child support payments for other children, spousal support payments, or similar costs, collect those.
Washington’s Support Schedule appears to be a rigid, standardized formula. Like a math equation, you plug numbers in, and it shows a presumptive amount.
However, just like having a CPA look at your taxes, there may be things an attorney sees that will benefit you in getting a deviation from the presumptive amount.
