The Michigan Child Support Calculator

When parents separate or go through a divorce, their main concern is often for the well-being of their children. However, even if you want to support your kids financially, you may find yourself in a difficult situation following separation from a spouse. Now that your family is supporting two households, the income that was once sufficient simply may not be enough.

However, this does not alleviate you of the burden of supporting your children financially. The courts will take several factors into account when it comes to determining the amount of child support you will pay, but waiting for the court to come up with a number could be rather nerve-wracking. Is there any way to predict potential payments so that you can plan accordingly? With the Michigan Child Support Calculator, you can prepare yourself for what lies ahead. Here’s what you should know.

What is the Michigan Child Support Calculator?
The Michigan Child Support Calculator is an online tool developed by the Office of Child Support, under the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, that is used to estimate the amount of child support payments a person might have to pay based on input information. This tool was originally developed for use by the Office of Child Support Staff, but because the process of determining child support payments can be so complex, the group decided to make the tool available for public use.

The child support calculator can now be used by parents to get an idea of what their child support payments might amount to. It is also available to attorneys, judges, mediators or other court referees, and anyone interested in estimating potential child support payments. The Michigan Child Support Calculator can be found at: www.michigan.gov/michildsupport.

How Does It Work?
Michigan courts take several factors into consideration when determining child support payments, including both parents’ incomes, the number of children, child custody (i.e. how much time kids spend in each household), cost of childcare, healthcare costs, and more. This is all part of the Child Support Formula developed by the Friend of the Court Bureau to determine the financial obligations of parents toward their children in the event of separation, divorce, or other applicable circumstances.

This formula was used create the Child Support Calculator in the interest of accuracy, and so long as users input information correctly, they should come up with the same amount as the Office of Child Support. The process takes about 30 minutes and will require income information for both parents, as well as health and childcare information about children.

Will it Affect the Child Support Order?
Unfortunately, the payment amount the Child Support Calculator generates may not be indicative of the actual order of child support issued by the court. The calculator is intended only as a tool to help parents and other users get an idea of what child support payments might be based on existing information.

This handy tool can help parents to prepare, as long as they provide accurate information. However, it’s always best to rely on your attorney to help you through the actual legal process of determining child support, so contact the qualified lawyers at The Gucciardo Law Firm today at 248-723-5190 to get started.