California child support basics

Child support is important to many families, parents and children. Parents in California should know what child support expenses are for and how long child support payments need to be paid.

What expenses are included in child support?

When determining child support, certain types of expenses may be included when determining the child support calculation such as:

• Monetary support needed for food, clothing, shelter, basic education and any other essentials needed by the child;
• Health insurance for the child;
• Any back child support payments;
• Any interest on back child support payments;

How long does child support need to be paid?

Parents have a duty to provide financial support for their children. This duty can come to an end when:

• The child turns 18 years old and has graduated from high school;
• The child turns 19 years old; or
• The child marries, dies or becomes legally free in some way such as by joining the military.

The California child support formula

When determining the amount of child support, a child support formula is used. The family law court looks to the net disposable income of both parents to determine the child support amount that will need to be paid. The income of each of the parents following taxes, mandatory union dues, mandatory retirement contributions, health premiums, child or spousal support the parent is already required to pay and any costs associated with raising children from any other relationship will be considered in this calculation.