When children are part of a divorce, child custody and support become included in the decree. If you are even contemplating divorce in New Jersey, you know for sure that you will have to pay out money every month.
You are OK with child support because you want your children to have the best of everything. You want them to continue to live as they would if you and your spouse were still together. However, your budget will be changing. So, how much will you have to pay a month, and what happens if you miss a payment?
Calculations
New Jersey’s child support office offers QuickCalc. This calculator helps you figure your child support payments. It is for information purposes only and does not guarantee the amount you may have to pay. It may be easy enough to figure out, but there are several parts of your gross income that you must figure in. Some include:
- Annuities
- Life insurance
- Disability payments
- Workers’ compensation
- Unemployment
- Government or private retirement plans
- Gambling or lottery winnings
You may need to use your IRS schedules for income derived from rental properties and businesses. You may also need to figure in additional income tax credit or rebates, not including Federal and state-earned income credits.
QuickCalc calls for information concerning the percentage of parenting time for the Non-custodial parent and if custody is sole or shared.
Enforcement actions
Missing a payment signifies that you disregarded court order provisions. Skipping one or more child support payments may lead to actions to attain the money your child or children need. Punishment for this may include jail time and revocation of your driver’s license. Other actions could include:
- Passport denial
- Taking your tax refund
- Asset seizure
- Warrants
- Lawsuits
Federal law requires your employer to deduct child support through income withholding. Your employer will then send the amount to the New Jersey Family Support Payment Center for processing. You can make payments through the child support office website or the NJ Child Support app.
