How is child support calculated in Tennessee?

No one really likes to pay child support.  It is, perhaps, one of the most contentious issues in cases involving children.  In my practice, I have discovered several reasons for this.  

First, when child support is paid, it is paid to the other parent.  The greater the animosity between the parents, the more difficult it is to make those payment.  It creates the illusion that the person paying the child support is actually paying the money for the benefit of the other parent and not the children.  

In Tennessee we have a comprehensive set of guidelines used to determine the amount of child support that will be paid.  Based upon the guidelines, the appropriate figures are inserted into Tennessee's Child Support Worksheet by using a child support calculator supplied by the state. The result is a dollar amount that is used as child support.  

The following are the five factors that go into the child support formula in Tennessee:

• The income of each parent
• The amount of time each parent spends with the child
• The amount paid for health insurance and recurring medical expenses
• Childcare expenses
• Credit for other children

As always, it is important to seek out a professional for help with issues involving child support.  It is also important to understand and be educated in the way child support is calculated in Tennessee.

RESOURCES

Tennessee Child Support Guidelines

Tennessee Child Support Calculator

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