Child Custody & Child Support

Child support generally is resolved by an application of the North Carolina Child Support Guidelines. Our firm provides child support calculators based on the guidelines to help families determine child support amounts. However, it is possible to request a deviation from the Child Support Guidelines.

In most cases, child support is calculated based upon the following:

1. The gross monthly income of each parent;
2. The monthly cost of work-related child care; and
3. The monthly cost of health insurance benefits for the children. Health insurance benefits include vision and dental insurance.

The court may consider extraordinary expenses which are defined in the Guidelines as including : 1) uninsured medical expenses in excess of $100.00 per year; 2) medical expenses for costs that are reasonably necessary for orthodontia, dental treatments, asthma treatments, physical therapy and any insured chronic health problem; 3) expenses for attending any special or private elementary or secondary school to meet the particular educational needs of a child; or 4) transportation expenses for the child to travel between the parents' homes.

Child support is payable until the child is 18. If the child has not graduated from high school when he or she reaches 18, then the obligation continues until the child graduates from high school or stops attending school on a regular basis, whichever first occurs.