Utah Child Support Basics
Child Support Basics in Utah:
Child support in Utah is determined by a number of factors. First each parent may be obligated to pay child support, usually only the non-custodial parent is ordered to pay child support, but each cases circumstance are different. The child support payments can include medical and dental costs and health insurance can be included as well. Sometimes the parents are ordered to share child-care expenses if the custodial parent is in training or is working.
Utah, just like every other U.S. State, is required to follow a set of child support guidelines, which are set in place to help calculate and figure out child support payment amounts. The guidelines are reasonable and they are set in the best interest of the child or children that are being involved. The court follows these guidelines and sticks to them unless both parents have decided on a different amount that the court approves. The court may even determine that the guidelines are unjust in certain cases.
If the court decides to change the guidelines in a particular case, one of the following is the cause of the change of guidelines:
- 1. Living situation of parents
- 2. General wealth and income of parents
- 3. The parent's earning power
- 4. The child's needs and the parent's needs
- 5. Ages of all involved parties
- 6. Parent's responsibility to support others
Usually the state child support guidelines are based on how much the parent's total gross income is, both parents income combined. The guidelines also figure in the number of children that require child support, and what each parent contributes individually to that total gross income amount.
Child support usually ceases when the child or children turn 18 years old or when the child or children graduate from high school, which ever occurs last. If a child gets married, is taken off of any type of disability, or dies, the child support will end as well.
Utah Medical Guidelines:
Normally if a parent is to provide medical and dental coverage or health insurance on the child or children, this can be determined by the marital settle agreement. If no agreement was made to cover these terms, then one parent could be ordered to provide this type of coverage for the child or children. If one of the parents has this type of coverage offered through their employer, they may be required to have the child or children added to the policy. If any uninsured expenses occur, both parents are to share the expenses that are incurred. This order is usually included with the child support order.
Utah Child Support Wage Garnishment:
Many states including Utah, can withhold child support straight from the ordered parent's paycheck. The payments are held similar to income tax earnings that are withheld from paychecks. Usually if child support is withheld from a paycheck it is easier on both parents and is more dependable then if a parent ordered to pay child support was just paying it on their own because then the support may not get paid or get paid on time.
Typically the way this works is that once the child support is held from the paycheck, it gets delivered to the state to be authorized and that is where the payment is disbursed from. After the child support has been verified that it was paid the child support then gets disbursed to the parent assigned to receiving the child support payment.
Usually when a non-custodial parent proves that they are giving more then 50% of the child support for children that are not built-in to the court order for child support from a succeeding marriage, does not show to be in arrears, then a total amount of 50%, and no more, of the paying parent's disposable earnings can be held if the parent is not able to pay the total court ordered sum of both orders.
If the non-custodial parent is in arrears then the number goes from 50% to 55%, the amount will go up to 60% for the parent only providing child support to children on the current child support order and it can go up to 65% for a parent who has arrears and is paying only on the existing order.